Dredd 3D - Puppet Master
by Wolfca
Summary: If you had full control of both Judge Dredd and Anderson, what would you do with them? That's the question the Puppet Master was wondering when he had them under his psychic control. M-rated just in case
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**A/N:** Okay this is my first dip into writing Judge Dredd and not 100% sure if this story is going to be any good. If you like it please leave reviews to keep me writing.

The idea of this story came out of my hobby, Games Workshop (who did sell Judge Dredd Miniature game back in the 80s I believe) and after mulling it over my head for a little while a story idea came to mind.

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**Chapter 1**

Judges Dredd and Anderson were on patrol through a quiet street. Dredd was bored as there had been no incidents here this morning. Anderson thought it was nice to just walk around and chat to him.

"Sir, you know my first name and seeing as we've been working together for a little while, I was wondering if you were going to tell me yours." Anderson asked.

"No." Dredd replied.

"Come on sir." Anderson pushed him.

It wasn't that Dredd didn't trust her or anything, but he had to give her credit to her bravery when it came to bugging him or back answering him. Hershey was the only other person he knew who could stand up to him and even tells him 'no'.

"No." Dredd maintained his answer.

"You do know I could just read your mind." Anderson said before inwardly regretting it.

Dredd had spun sharp on his heel to glare at her. Anderson nearly crashed into him as it was so sudden. She didn't even dare look up into his visor as she knew he was glaring at her angrily. Anger always radiated off him but now it was like he was shooting lasers out of his visor, burning Anderson with anger. Dredd spun back round and kept walking, Anderson followed behind at a distance and more cautiously. Dredd looked all around him and saw no one was around. He gave a grunted sigh and spun back round to face Anderson again. The last thing he wanted was Anderson feeling down while on the job. Anderson walked into him and bounced off of him. Dredd quickly grabbed her arm to stop her falling flat on her arse. He bit his tongue to stop the argument that she should have paid attention and not be distracted. However once Anderson was stood ok she yanked her arm out of Dredd's grip before shouldering past him. Dredd sighed before turning back around.

"It's Joseph." Dredd said to her back as he double checked that no one else had heard.

Anderson stopped to face him almost as if she couldn't believe he had actually revealed a piece of personal information.

"Judge Joe Dredd." Anderson said as she mulled his name over her tongue till Dredd stood beside her again.

"Don't say it in front of people." Dredd told her.

Dredd didn't let many people know his first name as it felt like if people used his first name then he was emotional and almost human. Anderson merely nodded not getting why he hated his first name. Dredd then turned serious which wasn't much difference in his face except his lips tighten.

"And if you read my mind ever, I will personally ram hot shot slugs through your head and fry your brain. Got it!" Dredd threatened.

Anderson nodded. If truth be told she was suddenly terrified of Dredd. Her brain battled with itself trying to figure out if he really would do it or he was just saying it. Anderson knew he would, he was Judge Dredd he never gave empty threats. Dredd had spun round and carrying on their patrol. Anderson followed but kept an eye on Dredd, waiting for the man to suddenly snap. Both their radios went off.

"Control to Dredd. We have reports of unusual deaths over at Atlantic Tower. Please respond." Control asked.

"Dredd to control on my way." Dredd replied and headed back down the road to their parked bikes.

Anderson didn't know if that meant she was to follow or stay patrolling as control only asked for Dredd.

"Anderson!" Dredd yelled back.

Anderson ran to catch up, putting her helmet on which she left with her bike. Anderson hated wearing the helmet but trying to ride a bike at high speeds with hair blowing all over the place was even worse. Dredd still couldn't get over the fact she didn't wear her helmet all the time but short of super gluing the damn thing on her, he knew she wouldn't listen to his orders. Dredd revved his bike before shooting off with Anderson riding beside him. The ride would only take 20 minutes and as they drove they realised they would be driving past Peach Trees. Once they were in front of the gigantic tower block of Atlantic Tower, Anderson removed her helmet and looked over to the Peach Trees block. Dredd gave it a quick glance before putting his back to that place and subconsciously running a hand over his right side. The damaged plates in his armour had been replaced but the wound of the flesh was only just finished healing into another scar. He had been lucky that not much internal damaged had been done, apart from some of his gut being shorter but Dredd wasn't worried. He was still on his own two feet and breathing. Looking at Anderson out of the corner of his visor, something he did a lot as no one knew where he was looking, he saw Anderson clutch her ribs. Her wound was also lucky. His was a through and through while Anderson's wasn't. It took a little digging to find the bullet which had thankfully became lodged between two ribs. Any further and it would have punched her lung. On the elevator down Dredd had treated her wound. Normally a judge would treat their own wounds, but Anderson was so exhausted and relieved it had all ended that she could barely stand in the elevator so sat on the floor with Dredd leaning over her. Anderson wasn't even bothered when he undid her jacket and lifted her top, even holding her shirt with his hands practically on her breast didn't bother her. Dredd had watched her while he cleared most of the blood expecting her to recoil away but she didn't. Instead she kept her breathing steady with the occasional hiss of pain and allowed him to work. She looked up at him and seemed to stare through his visor but her eyes showed she trusted him but they also showed that she knew her life as a judge was over. She was surprised when Dredd caught up with her by the Lawmasters to hand her back her shield. Anderson had almost launched herself at him to hug him but she managed to keep herself back and just tell him she could kiss and hug him right now. Dredd was glad that she had held herself back but the little voice in his mind hoped she had or maybe do it later in private. Letting out a growl, sometimes he hated being a human with needs, especially round a pretty blonde rookie, nope judge. Getting distracted there Dredd his mind reminded him.

"Anderson? Rookie!" Dredd snapped to break her out of her stare.

Anderson growled with frustration at still being called Rookie. Though she figured she was still a rookie to Dredd. You don't pass one assessment and you're instantly a veteran.

"Yes sir." Anderson answered as she followed his step towards the building.

"What are your thoughts on Atlantic Tower?" Dredd asked, pausing to give the building a glance up before looking down at Anderson.

Anderson knew that was him asking her to use her powers. People would more than likely get frightened and do something stupid if they knew that the latest judge on the streets was a mutant. However Dredd had gotten use to her ability and even though at the start he wasn't happy about the Chief Judges decision, he could see results already. Even with his record of catching perps, with Anderson around they could locate the perp quicker meaning more crimes being solved. They were the perfect duo of brains and brawn and Dredd wondered if he was now too use to Anderson around him that to lose her as his partner, he'd lose vital information to save the city. But Dredd also kept the information that she was a psychic a secret, Peach Trees had revealed corrupt Judges and Anderson was going to be a prime target if even one of them got away and reported to the others. As the Chief Judge had told him, she's a secret weapon.

Anderson closed her eyes momentarily as she let her mind wonder over the huge structure in front of her. The lower levels were panic and fear and chaos. Further up the building it seemed to calm down to almost clockwork function as if the panic downstairs was none existent.

"I'm not sure sir, something is going on inside and I would say the further up we go the worse it'll get." Anderson said as she opened her eyes.

Dredd didn't like the thought of going to the top of another block building, especially if someone set the war protocol off again.

"Dredd to Control. At Atlantic Tower, hold the door open." Dredd radioed through.

"Roger that Dredd. War protocol cannot be engaged unless you're clear." Control replied.

Peach Trees had taught the justice department a valuable lesson. From now on if judges were called into the massive tower blocks, control could stop anyone from trying to activate the war protocol. It left an escape route for the judge or judges inside and way for reinforcements to arrive. Also the Chief Judge hoped that it would throw off any corrupt judges from trying to kill a fellow judge. The threat of corrupt judges still hung over the Justice department and there was no way to screen check every judge in the city for corruption. The chief judge had considered letting Anderson read everyone's mind but Dredd was against it saying it would only paint a target on Anderson. Besides it would take too long to screen them all and would take up valuable street time for Anderson and Dredd as Dredd insisted wherever Anderson was he was to be. Even now Dredd didn't know where this protective side of his came from, except that little voice in his head telling him that he liked her.

Going inside people all around seems to be in fear, nervous of their shadow, waiting for a silent killer to claim them. Dredd was a few steps behind Anderson as they walked further into the building. Dredd could tell Anderson was trying to pin point the source of the problems. Looking up he saw something coming down and knew he had to pull her back. Grabbing her by the scruff of her armoured jacket he pulled Anderson backwards a few paces, ignoring the slight choking noises as a body landed where Anderson had been stood. Blood and gristle sprayed everywhere, even splashing over Dredd and Anderson. Dredd let Anderson go and after a small chough she thanked him.

"Your mind was elsewhere." Dredd commented before kneeling down to examine the body.

After examining they came to two conclusions of cause of death. Suicide or thrown over, leaving the judges with no choice but to head up the building. Drawing their Lawgivers they began the task of sweeping every floor till they found the source of this madness.

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Please leave a review below so that i'll speed the next chapter towards you


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks to those who reviewed. I'm sorry for any typos or mistakes they are purely mine. I do try and find them all when I read through what I've written. But I'm only human and can't find them all.

I do hope this doesn't appear as a copy of the film. Yes it is set in a block similar to Peach Trees but the villain is completely different and unfortunately tower blocks don't leave much room for direction except up lol.

Anyhow I've updated earlier then I thought in a hope that it'll give a bit more story lol

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**Chapter 2**

Up and up the Judges went but nothing seemed to spark as a source of the weirdness. By the time they reach the 20th floor Dredd was putting the strangeness to paranoia or that the block had gone futsie. Futsie were people who could no longer handle life in the future. The people would quite literally go mad and attack anything futuristic, causing crime in the process. However they soon saw it was something more serious when a middle aged man walked out of his apartment. The two judges aimed their Lawgivers just in case. The man walked like he was possessed, but his eyes were overflowing with fear and his shaking mouth was mumbling something as he turned to face the Judges.

"Master of puppets, pulling your strings, twisting your mind, smashing your dreams, blinded by me, you can't see a thing, just call my name, I'll hear you scream." And with that the man flung himself over the balcony and whatever had possessed him must have released him as he screamed till his body hit the floor in a bloodied heap and silence.

Anderson looked quite shocked at the whole thing. Dredd looked over the balcony and could see the red splat on the floor and rough outline of the man spread eagle in the middle. Lips tightening a bit more in disgust he turned back round to Anderson who was still wide eyed and looked at him, hoping his years of service had seen something like this before. Dredd turned his attention to the apartment the man had come out of for clues. But inside the apartment didn't reveal anything unusual. It was like the man had decided to put his bowl of breakfast down and jump off the balcony. Dredd could feel the back of his neck prickle and he knew this was going to be a bad case. Anderson had now joined him still confused.

"I don't understand it sir his mind was unreadable, like static. It was only when he was falling that the static broke and he was confused. He didn't seem to know what he was doing." Anderson told him.

Dredd took the information in and looked round the room again.

"Could it be a drug?" Anderson asked.

"No needles about but it could be ingested." Dredd commented as he headed out of the room weighing up on further examining the block or letting forensics to analyze the bodies for drugs.

"But what drug makes you act possessed then kills you? I know some people can't handle the city so suicide is the option, but a hallucinogenic suicide drug?" Anderson tried to piece it together.

Dredd merely shrugged his shoulders, the creaking leather breaking Anderson from her puzzling to look up at Dredd for her orders. Dredd tested the Lawgiver in his hand letting the weight settle him. Anderson had come to take it as a sign that Dredd had sensed a bad case. To anyone who didn't know him they'd think he was checking his gun over not that many people got to know him that deeply. Happy with it securely in his hands Dredd kept it level as he went further into the building. Anderson followed suit and allowed her psychic ability to scan the area for anyone else ready to leap in a hope of catching them and questioning them. It wasn't till they were halfway up the building they encountered trouble again. Dredd had stopped and Anderson caught her breath and looked around them. Dredd looked around him and saw no one; in fact he hadn't seen or heard another person for the past ten floors.

"Anderson sensing anything yet?" Dredd asked.

"Give me a moment." Anderson replied.

Anderson let her mind wonder as Dredd kept an eye out around him. When Anderson used her abilities she became powerful mentally but she was vulnerable to attack with her mind elsewhere. Anderson was still searching when all the doors around the central walkway opened as one. Dredd lifted his gun and stood in front of Anderson providing cover.

"I only sense one mind; one thought." Anderson said as she closed her eyes into deeper thought.

All around people were stepping out of their apartments as one. Dredd pointed his gun around at the zombie like people, switches sides trying to monitor them all. The people weren't deterred from the sight of Judges Lawgiver. They still walked towards the pair; their eyes had gone from fear to glassy. Whatever that one thought was it was overriding their sense of reality. Normally when people see a Judge it puts instant terror into them however this wasn't the case.

"The only command is 'Kill the Judges'." Anderson said aloud trying to find the source and disrupt it.

Dredd jabbed his armored elbow into Anderson's gut. Anderson grunted snapping out of her psychic thoughts to glare at Dredd though her eyes widen suddenly when she noticed the people.

"Oh." Anderson said as she looked around.

"Yep." Dredd confirmed.

"This must be what I was sensing." Anderson muttered as she fumbled to try and grip her gun.

"Yep." Dredd confirmed again as he gripped his Lawgiver more, the tighter grip had the feeling of connecting to the weapon like a robot re-attaching a hand.

Anderson finally drew her gun and stepped out from behind Dredd, "How we going to deal with this?"

"Citizens, stand down or you will be charged with attempted murder of Judges. The sentence is Death!" Dredd bellowed.

"Oh yeah cause yelling always works huh Dredd?." Anderson said sarcastically, Dredd grunted his annoyance.

The horde still came closer. Anderson was getting nervous as she could only sense one mind but did that mean they were all innocent or guilty.

"Joe? They aren't stopping." Anderson said letting his first name slip in her nerves.

Dredd growled but let it slip. The first of the people were only a few metres in front of them and just then Dredd noticed something glint in the light; a control chip on their heads. It'll give the impression of a hive mind to whoever has the controller. Realising this whole block must be under some Techie Clan but first he had to get through this lot. Lowering his gun he single shot the closest person in the leg as a warning and not a kill shot. The man went down but was now crawling to his target determined to get there. Growling he was left with no choice, to kill anyone that gets in his way. Anderson got the message and didn't like the idea but they had no choice. Dredd quickly looked for the elevator and headed in that way shooting anyone between himself and his target destination. Dredd took point leaving Anderson to pick off any that got closer after Dredd's initial pass. Once they got to the elevator they both changed mags as Anderson kept tapping the call button. Turning her attention back to the people in front as Dredd shot some more of them down. The elevator dinged distracting Anderson as the doors opened Dredd pushed himself through knocking Anderson's shoulder as she tumbled backwards. Dredd hadn't realised as he hit the button to close the doors and go up several floors. Some of the controlled people had grabbed Anderson's boots and she screamed realising the heavy doors were closing and were about to crush her hips as well as the perps were trying to pull her out of the elevator. Dredd looked down in time and quickly fired off at the perps as he reached down and slipped his arms under Anderson's shoulders pulling her into the elevator.

Just as the door closed on an arm still gripping Anderson's ankle the resulting wail of pain did nothing to loosen the grip and Dredd kept pulling back. It was a battle between machine and flesh and as was the case, machine won. The doors crunched closed and the wail was even louder as his arm was flattened, bone turned to dust and muscles and blood crushed into a pulp. The elevator began to rise and as it passed the floor's ceiling the arms tore away from its owner. Dredd was still pulling back and promptly fell back his shoulders and head colliding with the back of the elevator wall with a loud thud. Anderson had been pulled back with him lying sprawled on him, her back to his chest, as she panted above him her head leaning back on his collar bone, his arms that had been under her arms had gone slack and lay careless across her stomach holding her to him. His heavy breathing coming out in small grunts but it soon settled back down and Anderson concentrated on his breathing to calm hers but she couldn't stop the shaking in her body realising how close she had come to being torn in half. Feeling her tremble Dredd held her more closer to him, whispering a soothing 'shhh' into her ear to calm her. It seemed to work as her trembling lessened and her breathing calmed to a steady rhythm matching his own. After a few moments of calm he became more aware of their position and began wriggling to get her to move. Anderson rolled off and sat in the corner of the elevator as Dredd stood up. Looking down at her she looked up at him, her eyes still held a hint of scared but they were determined to carry on. Nodding he offered her his hand, Anderson grasped him at the forearm as he locked hers in his and tugged her sharply to her feet almost twisting her shoulder but Anderson didn't complain.

"You okay?" Dredd asked.

Anderson nodded before reaching down and grabbing her gun and took aimed at the door, stance ready to move out. Dredd nodded once more seeing she'd definitely learnt a lot recently as he adopted a similar pose. The elevator dinged and as the doors opened there was another huge mob waiting just outside. Stepping out they stood either side of the door backs angled so they could aim at the side corridor or the main in front of them.

"High Ex!" Dredd yelled as the gun responded to his command.

Anderson also ordered the same round. The horde suddenly stopped and retreated back into their homes. Anderson was confused and so was Dredd as they looked back at each other before watching the retreating mob till they were all gone. Using the moment of calm the pair took a few moments to catch their breath. Anderson rested her hands on her knees as she leaned back on the concrete wall. Dredd leaned on the wall next to her looking around and checking for any strays. Noticing none he slapped Anderson on the shoulder nearly sending her flying to the floor. Over time she had come to know a slap on the shoulder was Dredd's way of saying 'good job'. Anderson closed her eyes again to try and pick up anything new about the building. So far her senses were telling her to go up, always up with these buildings.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Cheers to the reviews. Every single one makes me write faster so I can update faster.

I'm not 100% sure on how this chapter went and after re-reading and tweaking I still can't get it right or it could just be me. You're the reader and if you stick with it till the end and leave a review I'll know if I balls up or went right for sure lol

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**Chapter 3**

Anderson could only pick up static which was beginning to frustrate her. It was as if someone had let off a stun grenade and left her part blind. It was ok for Dredd he didn't have an extra sense besides instinct.

"Guess we're searching the old fashion way." Dredd commented as he took point.

Dredd hated to admit it but he'd grown use to Anderson's second sight. An early warning sign to what was going on around them. He found himself having to check around more regularly rather than keep walking and being alerted by Anderson. Stopping at a junction as Anderson tucked up behind checking their rear. Using the small break she tried again but ended up growling in frustration and kicking the wall beside them. Yep you're rubbing off on her.

**But not the way you want to rub off on her.  
**  
Dredd shock his head slightly. Where had that thought come from. Looking over his shoulder at the angered blonde he could see why someone would be attracted to her.

**Like yourself.  
**  
Shaking again Dredd was beginning to not like his thoughts tight now. But he couldn't deny that they were true. Even though she was a mutant you wouldn't know until she told you. Even that mother in Peach Trees, Kathy, had been shocked at Anderson. But was it right to feel attraction to a mutant considering the laws.

**You can't help who you fall for.  
**  
True. But then it occurred to Dredd that he was thinking about civilian law not rules of Judges. He couldn't do a thing about it. The rules were the rules.

**The rules forbid any Judges being emotionally involved. It doesn't say anything about physical.  
**  
Where was his head going today? It was like it wanted him to react. Hell it was. Leather pants don't exactly hide much and Dredd found he kept both hands on his Lawgiver and held low to hide himself.

**Naughty, naughty. Best do something to get rid of it quick. If you have to snap the gun up it won't be the only thing up.  
**  
Dredd growled as he tried to focus on something not attractive. But everything he thought about Anderson kept popping up in his thoughts. Armour kept being stripped away in the corner of his vision till he stopped thinking and spun on Anderson.

"Stop it!" Dredd shouted at her.

Anderson looked frightened and confused.

"Stop what?" Anderson asked as he was now checking round a corner.

Dredd didn't know how to reply but soon was kicked into action. Gun shots were heard behind them and the pair quickly ducked round the corner for cover. Dredd inwardly cursed with himself for being distracted. Peering round the corner he expected to see armed gang members but instead saw two heavily armed robots. Combat droids to look humanoid. These two each had assault rifles. Being droids they could carry much heavier versions of standard guns for humans. One of the bullets from their guns would be like an armour piercing round from a Lawgiver. Dredd took another glance and fired off a couple of shoots, taking the optics of the droid closest to Anderson. The droid buzzed and began firing blindly. Its companion was shot in the process as it took measures in its own hand and dismantled the faulty droid. Clearly their processes for threats included destroying each other. The shots were still firing wild for a while and Anderson was pinned down. Her armour took on a grey colouring from chunks of concrete and dust falling around her. Without her helmet she was forced to use her arms as a shield above her. Dredd stood up and took aim of the second droid.

"Armour Piercing!" Dredd commanded.

Firing the shot the bullet bored a hole straight through the second droids head and finished off the first droid. The pair collapsed to the ground and the firing stopped. Dredd looked over at Anderson who was also standing and dusting herself off.

"Sorry sir." Anderson apologised lowering her head in shame as concrete dust fell out of her hair.

Anderson shook her head a bit as more flew out. Running a hand through her hair she pushed her hair away from her face in a bid to stop the dust falling into her eyes. Dredd motioned her them to continue on this level. Dredd hears the unmistakable sound of guns loading as quickly spins round and tackles Anderson down to the ground. Bullets fly over them as Dredd's tackle pushes them back down a corridor. The bullets still chip away at the concrete corner so Dredd maintains his cover over Anderson. Anderson has her eyes closed tight and some when during the tackle her arms wrapped round Dredd's waist clinging for dear life, Lawgiver still in hand digging into Dredd's lower back. As pieces of concrete bounce off his armour and head Dredd realises he has one arm bearing his weight and another wrapped tightly round Anderson, pulling her close to him.

**How many times have you dreamed of this? **

Dredd's groan was lost in gun fire. He shouldn't be thinking about this right now he was trying to save Anderson.

**Why save her? She's just another Judge.**

That thought caught him off guard. It distracted him wondering why he was saving her covering her with his body as a shield.

**Oh yes you definitely want to cover her with your body.**

Dredd hadn't realised he was subconsciously pushes his hips towards Anderson till she tried to shove him off. Dredd snapped back to reality in time to feel a bullet rip through his left shoulder. Gritting teeth his left arm tightened its grip around Anderson pulling her further into his body and something he couldn't disguise as his Lawgiver. The droid seem to chitter as it knew it had struck flesh. The bullets stopped momentary as though it was trying to figure if the target was dead or not. Anderson managed to shift Dredd enough to wriggle out of his grip throwing him an angry glare as well. Dredd held his bad shoulder now and picked up his Lawgiver in his other hand ignoring Anderson's glare he stood up and got ready to take on the droid. Its slow footsteps clanked down the corridor towards them. Dredd kept his gun levelled on the corner ready to aim at the things head. Crouching down he soon realised he probably shouldn't have and grateful he had already gritted his teeth together in pain from his shoulder to not let any squeak out from a crushed groin. Anderson noticed but sneered behind him. But then she thought about why was she angry at him. He was just proving he's human after all and she should be a little flattered that he reacted to her rather than any other woman he'd worked around. It was just that Anderson didn't feel she was worth it as she was a mutant, a freak of nature. Who would fall for someone like her? Letting the thoughts slid from her mind she had to concentrate on the approaching enemy. It slowly came into view and unlike the first droids, this one was more bulky and had armour plates to protect its vital components. Its weapon of choice was a heavy assault rifle strapped to its right arm. Before it could swing it towards them Dredd and Anderson opened fire. The armour plating denting and pitting the plates but the droid still stayed standing. Switching to High Ex, the droids plates finally buckled and exploded. Both Judges ducking to avoiding flying debris but at the same time they looked at each other. Dredd seemed a little sheepish before quickly turning his attention back to the droid. Dredd went over and examined its sparking remains in a hope of finding some form of ID to the clan involved.

"Dredd?" Anderson asked not sure of how to ask him.

Dredd ignored her; he didn't want to answer her questions as he had no answers or reason for his actions earlier. Dredd continues to stare at the remains in the hope that she won't push him further. Anderson looms above his crouched form and slaps a hand down on his injured shoulder causing a new flow of blood to stain the dirty gold pad. Hissing in pain and anger Dredd spins round on Anderson.

"Now are you going to answer me?" Anderson holds her ground to the taller Judge.

Dredd takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly before turning his attention to his injured shoulder which Anderson had politely reminded him of. Looking around him it seemed clear but he moved to a door and hearing nothing behind it, he kicked it open with a Judge Size 10 boot. The door flung open and Dredd went inside finding it was an empty room. Anderson followed and slammed the door closed behind and kept post by it. Dredd had disappeared to the back of the room where he found the bathroom and began taking his armour off to deal with the bullet wound. Washing the wound clean with cool water it occurred to him how hot he had become. Was it heat from embarrassment, anger or just running around, he wasn't sure. Looking back he closed the door to and removed his helmet quickly to splash some of the water over his face gripping the sink with one hand and his head with the other watching the water swirl down the plug hole. Splashing more over him he placed his helmet back on not caring if water was still trailing over his face and down his neck.

**Let it out Dredd. Just take her and be done with it. Purge yourself of the feeling of want so you never feel it again.**

Dredd couldn't disagree. He hated not being in control, he hated feeling and would do anything to stop the feeling but it would mean breaking the rules. Dredd's thoughts drifted to his brother Rico wondering if this was why he did the things he did? Take action to settle the need then carry on with being a Judge. Anderson had entered the small bathroom and took in the scene before her. The bathroom was a corridor with a toilet to her right with its own door and directly in front of her was the sink and to the right, an old walk in shower with lever like taps. Dredd's leather jacket and body armour on the floor leaving only his dark blue vest top. Sweat and water left a trail running down his back as the cloth clung to him revealing a fairly muscled back. Anderson was mesmerised by a large drop of water suddenly peer from under his helmet and traced a muscle down his neck and disappear under his shirt. Even though she couldn't see the drop her eyes still wonder down to the floor taking in every inch of detail before realising that her eyes had drifted back up to stare at his arse. Anderson could sense he was unsure of himself and needed time to collect himself. Knowing she should leave him in peace but his wound still hadn't been bandaged up. She wanted answers but he also needed that wound taken care of, thankfully it was just a flesh wound but still it was a wound.

Before she could touch his shoulder to examine it Dredd spun round and grabbed Anderson by the shoulders and pushed her back till they were both stood in the shower area. Anderson managed to wriggle a hand free and bring it down on his injury Dredd yelled in pain as Anderson pushed off the wall and pinned him to the wall opposite. But Dredd was a much stronger opponent and wrapped a leg behind her knee and brought her crashing down to the tiled floor. Her back screamed in pain but she was more concerned about Dredd and his sudden attack. Using her boot she kicked at one of the taps. Dredd didn't care about her struggling only that it allowed him to settle above her more easily. Anderson could feel panic rise in her like nothing before as she feared what Dredd was going to do and kicked the tap harder. Her mind was at war between letting Dredd do what he wanted as she did find him somewhat attractive even if most of his details were hidden but she also knew it was wrong, illegal even for Dredd to even do what she thought he was going to do. The result from kicking the tap was a torrent of freezing water raining down on them. It was like an electric shock to Dredd and he gasped as he jumped back, slipping his back collided with the wall opposite Anderson as she too scrambled back. Both of them had their knees to their chests, breathing hard, staring at each other. One in fear and the other was scared of their own actions. The water continued to pour as sweat and blood from Dredd mingled with the concrete dust and dirt from Anderson. The reddishly grey mixture swirled down the drain but it didn't wash away events. It was ages before Dredd stood up letting the water ting off his helmet creating white noise in his ears. He didn't know what was going on with him but he had to finish this case and for that he needed Anderson and himself to work as a team. Offering her his hand Anderson only stared at it before standing on her own and pushing past him slamming the door closed behind her as she left him alone in the bathroom. Dredd turned the water off and put his armour back on ignoring his shoulder before joining Anderson in the main room.

"Ready?" Anderson asked him anger clear in his voice.

"Yeah." Dredd replied behind the mask he knew why she was angry with him as he felt the same anger towards himself.

Anderson only shot him a look of disgust before heading out the door and motioning for him to follow. Anderson motioned further to the back of the building and pointed to her head. Dredd nodded, she had sensed something or someone in that direction. Letting her lead Dredd followed her now with a point of direction he went through his training of moving through a building with unknown perps inside. Check corridors and junctions before crossing, listening for any noise, looking for even the smallest movement, with each step and check Dredd felt more like himself, his head playing the same mantra over and over. I am the Law. I am the Law. I am the Law.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Ok so yeah I think I seriously messed up the last chapter either that or there is not a great deal of interest in this story. This is all I've gotten written so far so the story is kinda on hold for a little while till the muse grabs me again or interest picks up.

Leave plenty of reviews and thanks to those who have been reviewing

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**Chapter 4**

Anderson's lead ended up being on the next floor so they back tracked to the stairs this time and cautiously climbed up the next floor. Anderson motioned that it was a room on the left at the junction, Dredd only nodded his confirmation. Straight away Anderson could pick up a panicked mind inside the apartment however due to still being pissed with Dredd and trying to keep an eye on him she forgot to clear the corridor. Dredd noticed it first, a buzzing chitter before hearing metal clank on metal. Looking to his right he saw a dark shadow bracing itself further down the corridor. It looked like a four legged crab with the front two legs being a very wide and tall plate to act as a blast shield and firing platform. A red laser dot was aimed at Anderson's head as a long barrel took aim. Dredd could tell from the three sections of the barrel, which when fired would slid inside each other on the recoil, that this was some sort of artillery droid or single shot high calibre sniper.

"Down!" Dredd ordered as he leapt vault forward tackling Anderson just as the droid fired.

Anderson yelled in pain as Dredd quickly pulled Anderson down the other corridor and into a room diagonally opposite to their target. Once inside Dredd let Anderson lie on the floor as she clutched the left side of her head, blood seeping between her gloved hands.

"Drokk!" Dredd cursed as knelt down to examine her wound.

Anderson merely swatted him away not wanting him anywhere near her. Growling quietly he placed a knee on her waving hand and crushed it into her chest. Anderson was now forced to use her other hand to swing at him but only ended up gripping the inside of his leg that was crushing his hand due to the pain. Dredd tried to look but Anderson kept screaming when he touched her and there was too much blood. All he could hope for was that the shot hadn't damaged her skull but he had to stop the bleeding. Before he could think of a way to stop it he heard a grated clicking on the other side of the wall much like the Lawgiver does when changing ammo only slower. The wall behind him started to splinter and shatter from a hail of high calibre bullets. Dredd quickly changed his stance to lie over Anderson once more though this time one hand over her mouth and another holding her injury. The hole got bigger as the droid kept firing hoping to eventually hit its target. Dredd let his hand over Anderson's mouth move to a pouch on his belt and pulled a small ball out with a tiny wire sticking up. Bracing himself onto his knees and forearm above Anderson he managed to carefully activate the stun grenade and set the 10 second fuse. Twisting and looking back at the hole he carefully threw the grenade through it. Lifting his body slightly higher on his forearms Anderson would be covered from the blinding flash which would come any second. The light was so bright it even blinded the droids optics and gave more light into the room and Dredd saw the ghastly wound on Anderson's head however he couldn't deal with it with the threat still mobile. Moving with speed he ran back out the room and back across the hall before the droid could reset it optics. The droid seemed more cautious as it scanned the hallway for movement. Dredd only hoped that Anderson would remain still and not scream out again. The droid took a couple of steps forward and started to turn towards the hole it had created. In a little while it would be able to see Anderson on the floor.

"High Ex!" Dredd ordered and the droid chittered loudly hearing Dredd and turning towards him.

Dredd took aim as the droid's gun disappeared behind its shield legs and as he fired the two plates slammed together with a thud and protected itself from the explosion. Cursing Dredd retreated further back wanting to pull the droid further away from Anderson, the droid followed and even though its front legs were thick plates it could move with some speed. Dredd ran round another corner and waited to ambush it. The droid seemed a lot smarter as it rounded the corner swinging its left leg round catching Dredd on his right side of his chest and slamming him into the wall. Dredd's vision blurred momentarily from the wind being knocked from him and not being able to draw another. He tried to push against the plate but it was held fast and pushing further into him. Crack. Dredd felt some ribs buckle under the strain and he breathed out a strangled shaky gasp.

Lifting his Lawgiver and pointing it over the thick plate the droid chittered before scampering backwards. Dredd fired another High Ex round but quickly ordered Incendiary afterwards. The droid closed the plates to protect itself from the explosion but Dredd was running past it and spun round and fired the Incendiary shot into its back. When the round hit the back of the droid it managed to punch through the weaker metal before detonation. The resulting fire consumed the droid as well as some of the surrounding area. The droid buzzed and chittered and hissed as servos and pneumatics failed to move as the heat melted the components. Limb by limb the droid collapsed to the floor it tried to swing its gun towards Dredd in a final kill shot but the servo seized 45 degrees away. Still firing the shot missed Dredd and was lost in a wall beside him.

Satisfied the droid was no longer a problem Dredd picked his way back to Anderson. Once back in the room he couldn't help but noticed the pool of blood and her lack of movement. Dredd dropped beside her in an instant and checked her pulse; it was weak and not good. Rifling into his first aid pouch Dredd pulled out an adrenaline shot and kept it ready as he undid Anderson's armour but the movement stirred Anderson as she started waking up and tossing around at whoever was touching her. Dredd replaced the shot into his pouch and gently tapped her on the cheek to rouse her more.

"Hey wake up you're not dying on me yet." Dredd told her as he kept tapping her cheek getting harder till she finally blinked rapidly and managed to hold eye contact with him.

Anderson saw Dredd and wanted to fight him off more, his behaviour earlier still fresh in her mind however Dredd was having none of it.

"Stay still or you will bleed out." Dredd told her and started looking for something to clean the wound with.

"Head to… that room…" Anderson mumbled out as she started to shake.

Dredd stood and quickly spied a blanket as he threw it over her and headed to the apartment. Not caring about the door he held his Lawgiver ready as he threw his shoulder into the door. The door hit the wall with a crack and the lone man inside instantly placed his hands up. Dredd looked round the room and saw it had been turned into a distillery. Dredd spied several large bottles labelled 'Vodka' next to the man as he walked over to them knowing they were exactly what he needed but he had to know for certain.

"What is inside those bottles?" Dredd ordered the terrified man.

"Homemade Vodka I swear." The man was still shaking with his hands up making the words come out a slur.

Dredd grabbed a couple of the bottles and went to head for the door but knew he had to dispense some sort of justice.

"Illegal distillery and distribution, two years iso-cubes. This had better be dismantled before I come back." Dredd told the man as left the man who promptly got to work dismantling the equipment.

Dredd returned to Anderson and unscrewed one of the bottles and gave it a sniff and the fumes hit him as he turned his nose away, oh yeah very strong alcohol. Crouching down next to Anderson, Dredd placed his knee once again over her chest trapping both of her arms. Anderson jumped and instinctively curled her arms up till her hands could grip his leg. Looking between the bottle and Anderson he knew it was going to get very loud.

"This is going to sting like a bitch." Dredd pointed out to her as he showed her the bottle.

"Let me take a sip first and I won't rip your leg to shreds." Anderson nodded towards the bottle as she tightened her grip on his thigh for good measure.

"You can't drink on duty." Dredd pointed out as he placed a hand on Anderson's head to turn it away from him so he could get to the wound.

"Spoil sport." Anderson groaned before Dredd tipped the pure alcohol onto her head.

Anderson yelled so loud Dredd thought he would be deaf as a result. After a few seconds his own hiss of pain joined her yelled as her fingers dug deeper between the muscles in his leg. Anderson kicked out in pain as well as to try and dislodge Dredd from her but he wouldn't budge. The wound was clearing up nicely and Dredd could see it was to her skull but hadn't taken a chuck out or cracked it, extremely lucky which he couldn't say for his finger as he realised that in pressing her cheek, his much larger hand partly went over her open mouth. Anderson bite down on the armoured digit and felt pleased when she realised she had gotten just under the knuckle. Dredd tried to ignore the pain from his leg and now his finger but his body was screaming at him that he was either going to end up with a dislocated finger or his leg ripped open. Dredd stopped pouring as there was no more left in the bottle and quickly awkwardly grabbed a wad of bandage to place over the wound seeing as Anderson wasn't ready to give up her grip on his finger.

"Let my finger go." Dredd asked her as he tugged on it.

Anderson finally did as she began taking panted breaths through the pain. Dredd grabbed the sealer and the auto-stitch machine as he removed the wad and got to work with the sealer. Anderson hissed some more as she managed to wriggle an arm free and it instantly lashed out to the inside of his thigh a bit too high for his liking. Anderson couldn't help but smile when she heard the very faint squeak of a sharp intake of air. Dredd looked down and saw how close her hand was tightly gripped on his leg and he noted another inch or two higher and she would have grabbed something else altogether.

**Oh you would have loved that, wouldn't you?**

Dredd chose to ignore that thought this time as his thought had already gotten him into trouble already, besides now wasn't the time when his friend was badly hurt.

**Friend now is it, this relationship is growing quickly. What the next level?**

Once again Dredd ignored the thought as he decided against the stitches considering how close the skin is to the bone and just used a bandaged pad and a load of bandage wrapped round her head gently. Anderson just let him work and slowly let go of her tight grip and just rested her hand against the inside of his thigh. This wouldn't have been a problem if every time he moved the bandage round her head, her hand moved up and down his leg as well.

**You'll run out bandage before you've blown.**

Scowling more, Dredd held the bandage in place as he moved her hand away from his leg. Anderson suddenly became aware of what was going on as she blushed deep red and pushing Dredd away to finish the bandage herself before putting her back to him. Dredd would deal with her in a moment…

**Oh I bet you will.**

… But first he had to radio in a medic for her.

"Dredd to Control I need a med-tek to my GPS." All Dredd could hear was static, "Dredd to Control? Oh forget it!" Dredd snapped cursing the Techie Clan that must be operating in this block.

Malfunctioning elevators, signal jammers and blasted droids. Dredd hated this block more and more each level and now he had Anderson to care for with a serious head injury. Walking out of the room he checked the next door and found the accommodation was a bit better and less holes in the wall then the room they had. Going back he motioned for Anderson to follow him but she wouldn't look him in the eye so never saw the motion. Dredd sighed loudly before grabbing her arm and hauling her to feet in protest and dragged her to the new room. Not bothered he pushed her to sit on the bed as he went over to the small kitchen in the corner which had a hatchway to look into the rest of the room and ran the cold tap as he re-filled his water bottle. Going back over to Anderson he handed her his bottle and held his hand out for her own. Anderson did as he wanted as he re-filled it and handed it back deciding to re-fill his own later after she was done. Anderson drank the entire contents and felt the cold water hit her head instantly as she hissed in pain from the cold.

"Brain freeze." Anderson groaned out as she waited for it to pass.

Anderson had to turn to Dredd when she heard his deep chuckle.

"I never thought I'd hear a psychic say that." Dredd commented which ended up making Anderson laugh, "How you feeling?"

"Tired possibly due to blood loss, how about you?" Anderson cast her eyes over him as he stood and headed back to the kitchen clearly trying to avoid the question.

"I'm fine." Dredd replied lying through his teeth as he tried to breathe normally but his chest hurt from that droid.

"No you're not I can tell you're not." Anderson said as she stood up shakily to trap him in the small kitchen.

"I'm fine." Dredd ground out again but found his breath was a little short.

Anderson just stood in the small doorway blocking him with her arms folded across her chest. Dredd contemplated about jumping through the hatchway but his chest was hurting like hell and looking at the hatch he knew that no matter how skilled at judging the jump and angle he would hurt his chest more.

"There is nothing you can do for me." Dredd told her as he leaned on the sink unit.

"I knew that I'm on about your injury. What is it that's causing your whole body to be stiff and breathless?" Anderson asked him smiling to herself that she was right.

**Rumbled!**

Groaning he had to think about it and was glad that behind the visor she wouldn't be able to tell where his eyes were and if he was checking he wasn't embarrassing himself again which thankfully he wasn't.

"Cracked ribs." Dredd muttered.

Anderson sighed as she un-crossed her arms and went stood in front of him pointing at his jacket.

"Un-zip it." Anderson ordered.

**Jacket or pants?**

Shut up thoughts! Dredd was starting to get really annoyed with them recently. Looking down at his armour then back at her he didn't do as she asked.

"One last time I'll ask you to take your armour off or I'll do it for you." Anderson ordered with more force behind it.

Dredd sighed before hitching in breath from it and slightly wincing in pain before setting to work on taking off his body armour and leather jacket. Dredd dumped them on the ground before trying to remove his dark blue vest top over his helmet which was proving a little difficult with busted ribs and his helmet being bigger than his head. All the while Anderson was trying to laugh when she saw him trying to remove the vest and letting a growl of annoyance out before finally getting it past his helmet and then readjusting it but she had found what she was looking for and set it down next to Dredd without him noticing. Heading back to the door Anderson switched on the lights and both of them groaned at the increased light with Anderson nearly falling backwards due to the bright light aggravating her wound. Dredd had caught her round the waist to steady herself as she placed an arm along his holding him. Once her sight was ok she got her first real good look and Dredd's body and she couldn't disagree with the fact it was a very well-toned muscled body. Dredd watched her as her eyes went over his body taking in every detail. He could have stopped her but he knew that as well as possibly studying his muscles…

**Well duh! Who wouldn't?**

… There were a lot of other details on his body that had taken up her attention. Tentatively she touched the scar from their Peach Trees assessment and then her fingers ghost over the small black numbers next to it. It took her a moment to realise the two sets of numbers was the date of the case and the case number. Stepping back and looking him over as a whole she a good majority of his body was scars with numbers next to them. A catalogue of pain etched onto him every time it left a mark on his skin.

"Why?" Anderson asked still looking at the numbers on his body trying to find the earliest date.

"Remember not to make the same mistake again." Dredd told her as he decided that he'd shown his body off long enough and his ribs were forgotten.

Anderson saw the deep purple bruise already forming on his side and she quickly grabbed the almost forgotten items she had grabbed. Wrapping them in a towel she placed it against the bruise as Dredd let out a shocked yell and leapt up almost plonking himself into the sink as Anderson jumped back to give him room. The movement caused him to cough slightly and Anderson watched him to make sure no blood or fluid was leaking out his mouth. Before he could bark at her she swatted his right arm away as she gently pressed around the wound causing Dredd to hiss more. Satisfied that she couldn't feel any fluid she grabbed the towel with the ice inside again and placed it against his injury. The cold caused him to shiver but he was more prepared this time for it and let her keep the homemade ice pack there. No matter what Anderson did she couldn't hide the tiredness in her especially from Dredd's sharp eyes. Dredd grabbed the towel and dumped it into the sink carefully moved Anderson to his other side, wrapping a shoulder round her waist for support as he led her back into the room and the bed. Anderson didn't hesitate as she lay down and let sleep pull her eyes closed. Dredd knew she shouldn't sleep but he couldn't see the harm in a few moments rest as he felt the same urge himself.

But duty screamed in his mind as he went back into the kitchen and as he turned his vest right way out again he took a moment to look down his body at the scars noticing the one area that hadn't been scarred was over his heart. Rubbing a hand over that part of his skin in case he'd missed anything he felt his heart drumming a steady beat but felt no marks. Looking over at Anderson the beat increased slightly and Dredd growled as he felt his heart wanting to feel something but he refused to let anyone in. like his mind he kept it behind a fort of walls so strong that he doubted anyone would be able to crack them again not after his brother Rico Dredd. Maybe that's why no one had left a scar over this part of his chest because the walls were too strong. However his mind knew this was wrong and somewhere in that wall was a tiny crack slowly getting bigger with Anderson's name starting to form in black letters above it. Ignoring it he finished getting his uniform back on went over to Anderson waking her up knowing they still had a job to do, mainly finding who was responsible for all this as they've added two counts of attempted murder of a judge to his list of crimes. The Sentence is Death!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Ok I caved in but only because Darth Gilthoron bugged me every day lol

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**Chapter 5**

Dredd had kept watch for the last half hour and he hadn't heard a thing come near their temporary hideout. Looking over at his resting partner he saw she needed her bandages changed as well as waking up so they can catch this creep. Rummaging through the kitchen he found a first aid box with more bandages in. Closing the box he set it down on the table and headed to the front door. Opening it carefully Dredd poked out the door and did a visual check of the hallways and saw nothing. Heading back inside and saw Anderson stirring on the bed. Picking up the first aid box he headed over to her to sit on the bed.

"Did I wake you?" Dredd asked as he set it down between them.

"I sensed you left the room." Anderson replied back as she rubbed her eyes, "Any chance of a cup of synthi-caffe?"

"Maybe but first your wound needs re-dressing." Dredd pointed out as he went to start undoing the bandages.

Anderson pulled away from him and in her eyes he recognised that flash of anger from earlier.

"I can do this myself thanks." Anderson pointed out as she grabbed the case and headed into the bathroom.

Dredd groaned as he rubbed his hand over his mouth and chin in agitation. He should have known that she wouldn't forget about his earlier 'activities'. Figuring she only let him touch her when he was cleaning her up was because he was administrating first aid on her, but then she had reached out and grabbed him. Shaking his head and putting it down to a pain reflex and his leg being the first chunk of him she could try and tear into for revenge. Thinking about it now he could feel the soreness in his leg where her hands had been. Making a mental note to check for bruises later Dredd hunted through the kitchen for some synthi-caffe, maybe as a peace offering to Anderson. Finding what he was after he set to work in making a brew when he heard noises outside the apartment. Drawing his Lawgiver he stealthy headed to the door and looked back into the room and saw no sign of Anderson. Taking a peek through the spy-hole he saw two armed men walking down the corridor. Both seemed to notice the destruction of the artillery droid and were clearly not happy and wanted revenge on 'their finest masterpiece'. Bingo Techie Clan, time for some answers. Wasting no time Dredd opened the door silently and crept up behind one of them. Shooting him point blank range he dropped dead as the other man was too surprised to spin round in time before Dredd brought the butt of his gun to his head knocking him out cold. Grabbing the man under the shoulders Dredd dragged him back to the hideout and dumped him on the sofa. Taking the gun from him and cuffed him to make sure he figured Anderson could deal with him when she reappears. Finishing the brew he knocked on the bathroom door and heard someone move to the door. Opening it was Anderson with a fairly poor attempt at bandaging up her head. Dredd was surprised he wasn't grinning.

"Don't laugh! Alright I'll admit it's not easy on my own but I didn't want you near me." Anderson told him trying to look intimidating with her bandages all lopsided and covering one eye as they slipped.

Dredd lifted the mug to her in a vain attempt at peace. He'd swear blindly he wasn't that sort of person, hell he was born and raised a judge and knew nothing else. Anderson eyed the mug suspiciously then back at him.

"Peace?" Dredd asked her managing to maintain his commanding voice and not begging.

"Peace." Anderson replied as she grabbed the mug from him and wrapped both hands round it.

Now she was distracted with the mug Dredd managed to unwind the bandage from her and began re-wrapping it. He could feel the heat from the mug into his chest and he felt them flare up his ribs but he chose to ignore it. Once he was done he turned round and headed back into the living room as well as hearing a groan of life from his prisoner. Anderson looked puzzled as she poked her head round the corner and saw the dazed man.

"A live one Dredd! That has to be a first for you." Anderson commented.

Dredd rolled his eyes and grateful Anderson wouldn't see it. He'd brought in many of live perps before just she wasn't his partner then to see it. Wandering over to the man Dredd stamped his boot down on man's own getting a howl of pain from him.

"Really Dredd, do you always hit first?" Anderson remained sarcastic as she leaned against the wall near the kitchen.

Dredd didn't care what she thought about his way of getting answers. As long as he got answers he didn't care how many punches he had to throw to get them.

"Tell me who's in charge." Dredd demanded but the man was still howling about his foot.

Dredd swung at his face with such force that Anderson would swear she saw teeth fly.

"Who?!" Dredd demanded again.

"I know nothing I just build the droids." The man stammered out.

Dredd sent another punch to his ribs and heard more than a few crack, pay back was a bitch in his world. Anderson sighed as she moved to stand beside Dredd, mug still in hand.

"Okay Dredd it's the ladies turn to have some fun." Anderson muttered.

The creep lashed out and kicked the mug from Anderson's hand. Even the mighty Judge Dredd took a step back now. Never get better a judge and their synthi-caffe especially Anderson or himself.

"Now you're going to wish it was still me interrogating." Dredd commented over his shoulder as he folded his arms and leaned on the wall at the back of the room.

The techie looked between Dredd and Anderson and each look the fear sunk in harder onto his features as he wasn't sure what Anderson was going to him. Soon he got his answer as Anderson entered his mind and went rooting through for the answers as painfully as she could. Dredd could only watch as the man's eyes were locked with Anderson's and all he was sweating profusely and babbling unintelligent words. However Anderson was running through his memories using the man's creations against him. Artillery droids, soldiers and even the heavy assault droids were running through the building chittering and buzzing as they chased him. Occasionally they would fire and would purposely miss their targets but the man was running for his life all the same. It wasn't long before two artillery droids had him pinned to the ground; each had an arm and leg under their front thick plated legs, cannon's aimed at his head.

"Tell me who your boss is?" Anderson asked as she stood by his head between the two artillery droids.

The two droids chitter in their own comments agreeing with the female judge. The man was too terrified to speak. The two droids buzzed louder and threatening as they pushed their cannons further into the man's face.

"The Puppet Master! The Puppet Master! Some protection racket psychic! That's all I know I swear!" the man yelled.

Anderson withdrew from his mind and could only cringe as the man practically pissed himself. Turning round she faced Dredd and he straightened himself seeing she had something to share.

"It's a protection racket they have here." Anderson told him.

"Figures with all these droids here no matter what tech clan you hire, it'll still cost a fortune just to get the parts." Dredd commented.

Anderson went to say more but she wasn't sure if what she thought was right. Dredd shifted his weight from one foot to the other and Anderson knew she had to say something.

"He goes by the name the Puppet Master." Anderson told him and let out a sigh before saying the next part, "He's a psychic sir like me."

Dredd took the information in as he tried to fit this new information into the puzzle.

"You're a Judge he's a criminal, you're not alike." Dredd pointed out.

Without warning, Dredd pushed Anderson away from him and fell backwards. Anderson went to protest when she saw the knife imbedded in the wall and Dredd let off one standard execution round at the techie. Blood and brain matter plastered the dreary walls and sofa as the techie went lifeless. Anderson jumped up and went to offer Dredd a hand as the fall seemed to have jarred his ribs a bit, however Dredd got up by himself. Anderson and Dredd got ready to leave but the knowledge that they were after another psychic bothered Anderson and she knew it was bothering Dredd too.

"Sir about this psychic." Anderson asked before he could reach the front door.

Dredd paused and only a slight turn of his head towards his shoulder was Anderson's only indication to continue.

"Do you think… is it possible… I mean I'm still learning…" Anderson tried but she couldn't seem to word it right.

"The perp can manipulate someone's thoughts." Dredd said knowing that was something he had been considering since learning they were dealing with a psychic.

Once Anderson said it was part of a protection racket he knew psychic were normally involved to 'convince' people to increase payments or cause accidents. This psychic seemed to be powerful enough to manipulate even his thoughts.

"Yeah… but for that to happen there has to be a thought or something in the victims mind to twist." Anderson added thinking about it knowing that she had practically opened a big can of worms and wondered if Dredd would answer it.

Dredd wanted to leave now but also stay. Anderson deserved the truth and he knew it was the source of the manipulation he had fallen victim to.

"Sir, earlier in the shower you attacked me. Is it because you hate mutants?" Anderson asked trying to be polite and not wanting to ask outright if Dredd had any thoughts of fucking her.

Dredd turned to face her now.

"No that wasn't it." Dredd told her.

Anderson nodded and was trying to pick up the courage to ask the other thing but Dredd had continued.

"I respect you as a Judge and as my partner and your abilities make you a unique Judge. You are in some ways like me, determined to get the job done and fight the odds no matter what is stacked against you." Dredd said to her.

Anderson raised her head to look at him as pride and honour filled her as Dredd was complimenting her.

"Plus you are a fairly attractive woman but being a Judge I cannot and will not act on anything like that." Dredd finished before turning his attention back to the door.

"Thank you sir." Anderson said to him as everything sank into place and was grateful for his honesty, "You're not a bad looker yourself if all I see if your lower jaw." Anderson added seeing as they were being honest.

Dredd was momentarily stunned allowing Anderson to push past him and out the door aiming back towards the stairs. Dredd followed her out and checking both ways before moving past her tapping her arm to proceed forwards. It wasn't till they got back to the stairs that Dredd noticed that there was no tension between them. They were back to being partners and knowing what they're target was capable of doing it was like they knew if one of them did something out of character they could overcome it. Realising this was why the Chief Judge had assigned Anderson to him permanently. The pair worked well together and got results with Anderson being the mental power and Dredd being physical power. Dredd had once questioned the Chief Judge about Anderson being emotional but she had only told him that with him being the robot he needed to be partnered up with some emotion to remain human, well almost human for Dredd.

Dredd and Anderson continued to go higher up the building till they had reached the top. Anderson had rarely used her psychic abilities since learning the target was a psychic as well. Instead she only tapped them to try and pinpoint him, kind of like sonar pinging and waiting for a comeback signal. When she did pick it up she went to tell Dredd but he had frozen in front of her. She could hear him trying to breathe but it came in sputtered gasps. Anderson watched as he stood upright more and brought his Lawgiver to his own head. Anderson had to do something and knew he would be mad but she had no choice. Entering his mind she came face to face with Dredd and another Judge. Dredd was on his knees as the other Judges was shouting at him for being a failure. Anderson was confused and was even more confused when the Judge turned to face her and the name badge also said Dredd.

"Ah so this is your new partner. Did you tell her how you got rid of your last partner Joey? Hmm? Oh brother of mine." The other Dredd sneered at the Dredd on the floor.

Brother? Dredd's brother? Then Anderson knew who it was, Rico Dredd. She remembered as a little girl hearing about it and how he was the first corrupt Judge in the Justice Department. Now she knew why Dredd hated corruption within the ranks more so because of this personal tie. But Rico Dredd was serving time and this was Dredd's head meaning that in reality this was the Puppet Master.

"Hey Puppet Master why don't you fuck off, his head's only got room for one annoying person and that spot is taken by me." Anderson yelled as she went to Dredd.

Rico Dredd changed into the target they were after. He was a man in his late thirties maybe early forties with short dark hair and green eyes. The Puppet Master seemed to consider this and gave a nodded bow before leaving left Dredd's mind. Anderson exited and could tell she sensed a trap but didn't know what it was. Going over to Dredd she was grateful when he holstered his weapon and saw his hand shaking slightly.

"That felt too real." Dredd commented trying to shake himself of the psi-attack.

Anderson could feel that worry rising up from her gut. This psychic was powerful if he could convince Dredd of what he was seeing. But then the man just left without any form of resistance. Dredd was leaning against the wall taking deep calming breaths and Anderson watched as all his muscles seemed to twitch before he started clawing at his face and Anderson could only watch in horror as chunks of his flesh peeled away to reveal dark fur underneath. Dredd turned to face Anderson and all she could hear was a growling as human teeth were replaced with sharp canines. Where his eyes were behind the visor there seemed to be a red glow forming. With one final roar the helmet split and Anderson saw Dredd's entire face had changed into a wolf's. Fearing the stories she had been told as a child Anderson screamed and bolted away.

Dredd watched as he saw a terrified Anderson run away from him like he was some form of monster. Looking down at himself he saw he was still human and knew that she had fallen victim to a psi-attack. Dredd growled and jumped to his feet and gave chase to try and snap her out of it. What he didn't realise was Anderson couldn't hear his words only snarls and growls and heavy footfalls as a monster from stories told to frighten children that lived near the wall was chasing her down and intent on killing her. Judges training was forgotten as she thought she was back to being a scared 7 year old girl running away from anyone who would hurt her for being a mutant.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Being generous and uploading twice in one day. However this was as far as the story idea got to in my head.

As I said earlier this story was brought about from my hobby, Games Workshop, which use to own in 80s Judge Dredd miniatures. The warhammer 40k universe is loosely based on Judge Dredd and even now they have their own version of Judges called Adeptus Arbites. One of the abilities that some characters have is psychic abilities and one of them is called Puppet Master which means you completely take control of a unit and use them as if they were their own.

On with the story

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**Chapter 6**

Dredd had been chasing Anderson for quite some time and as he pushed himself his ribs caused him more pain. The searing white hot spears made it difficult to breathe at times but he had to get to Anderson before she did something stupid. Thankfully his longer legs and years on the street and he was able to start closing the gap. He thought about using a stun round on Anderson however he drew his day-stick instead and using a precise throw he launched the stick towards Anderson causing it to collide and tangle about her legs making her fall. Anderson went down hard but she was prepared for it more than a stun round. Dredd caught up and retrieved his day-stick and collapsed it and put it away. Anderson had curled up into a ball and hid in the corner of the corridor looking petrified. Dredd approached her slowly hands up in a show of un-armed but he didn't know what Anderson's mind was making her see. Dredd was still the hulking werewolf closing in on her as tears streamed down her face in knowledge that she would die horribly and slowly. Closing her eyes as she didn't want to see her end she felt the monsters hands grip her shoulder and began shaking her. Anderson could only scream more before she felt a reinforced Judges glove slap her round the face. Blinking she noticed the monster was gone and Dredd was crouched in front of her still trying to shake her out of something.

"Hey snap out it. It was a psi-attack." Dredd told her as calmly as he could.

Anderson let the words sink in before she threw herself forwards and wrapped her arms tightly round his neck and sobbed into his neck. Dredd was stunned with his hands out to his sides and not sure what to do now. If his vision of his brother was anything to go by then Anderson must have had seen something so terrifying it felt real to her too. Loosely wrapping his arms around her he figured a quick reassuring hug would calm her down, however Anderson wouldn't let him go.

"Come on let me go now." Dredd said as he reached up and pulled her hands apart and away from him.

This close he noticed the bright red mark on her face and knew he probably hit a tad too hard but he had to do something.

"It was horrible. I thought you were a monster from my childhood. It seemed so real." Anderson confessed to Dredd.

"A robot yes but never been called a monster." Dredd replied.

"A werewolf more specifically. When I grew up my sector had stories of werewolves attacking during the night and taking away mutated children." Anderson told him.

"And you really think I'm possibly some werewolf?" Dredd asked her not sure what to make of it all.

"Thinking about it now no, but if you stopped growling at people so much then maybe I wouldn't have believed it." Anderson joked back.

"You're fine." Dredd stated as he stood up and took in his surroundings.

Dredd noted that the corridor seemed to have only two exits. The one they had just run through and the door next to them. Drawing his Lawgiver he stood in front of the door. Anderson got to her feet as stood ready beside him nodding that she was ready. Dredd kicked the door in as he took point and headed inside the hall like room. They both walked into the centre of the room slowly checking about themselves. Hearing clanking noises Dredd and Anderson became aware that there had been four other exits out of the room. They were hidden and now had droids running out of them. They were all the lighter soldier droids and they had the two Judges surrounded. They're minds raced trying to think of a way to get through them all without getting caught in a crossfire. Clapping from the other side of the room alerted them to another person in the room. Anderson recognised him from inside Dredd's head, the Puppet Master.

"I'm impressed with the both of you. You're both quite strong minded to have fought against my attacks and survived." The Puppet Master said as he stood there looking them over.

Either side of him was two of the heavy assault droids. Dredd wasn't intimidated however Anderson could see that they were trapped. The puppet master approached Dredd first being mindful to keep out of boot or fist reach as he circled around him.

"You were a tough nut to crack. Didn't think I was ever going to manipulate you. What do those Judges teach you to not indulge yourself in the pleasures of a woman's company." The Puppet Master said to Dredd.

He we walked behind him and stood behind Anderson taking longer to look her over and not bothered about getting closer to her.

"Now you pretty miss are something of a rare bird. A psychic and with Judge training, I admire a strong woman." The Puppet Master said to Anderson as he found he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Dredd growled his annoyance and the Puppet Master just looked at Dredd as if he was some annoying animal before turning his attention back to Anderson.

"Where are my manners? My name is Simon Psyker but everyone calls me the Puppet Master because well… I can control them just as easily. Yes I am a psychic from a protection ring however I got bored and have turned my sites onto controlling the whole city."

He went to take Anderson's hand but got too close to Dredd in doing so and Dredd swung his Lawgiver towards him. However the psychic foresaw the attack and dodged it with ease before punching Dredd straight into his injured ribs with enough force to send him backwards and onto the floor. The assault droid in front of Dredd buzzed and took aim with his rifle.

"Steady on I don't want you killing him." The Puppet Master ordered the droid.

Dredd stood up aimed his Lawgiver at the droid.

"Good to know." Dredd said and fired at the droid.

The droid's head exploded and Anderson leapt back a few steps as they both began shooting the room and clearing it of droids. Once the room was empty the pair of Judges turned towards the Puppet Master.

"Citizen Simon Psyker, you are charged with protection racket crimes and attempted murder of a judge numerous times the sentence is Death!" Dredd delivered and went to pull the trigger but his fingers wouldn't move.

Concentrating more he tried to squeeze the trigger more but his fingers still wouldn't respond. Anderson tried as well but found her hands had frozen as well.

"Tut tut you two, have you learned nothing?" Simon told them as the knowledge that he had taken over their bodies sank in.

Dredd tried to fight it but it was like his mind was no longer in his body. He tried to bring himself back into his body and control but he was distant now and almost like an observer to his own body.

"Now what unwilling things can I do to you two? I could make you kill yourselves." The Puppet Master said to them.

Dredd watched as Anderson froze and seemed lifeless as the puppet master took over her mind. Dredd noticed a tear form in her eye as she lost the battle, slumping to the ground, seemingly exhausted. Dredd growled before turning to face the puppet master, gun drawn as he managed to get a small bit of control back before it was gone again.

"Let's not be hasty Judge." The puppet master sneered as he turned to face Dredd.

He growled as he tried to command his body to react. The lawgiver raised but turned and pointed to his head, Dredd saw the round selected was Armour piercing. He tried to open his hand to drop the gun, hating that the puppet master had taken over his control of his arm with his gun. Dredd tried his other arm but that still didn't move.

"Now do I shoot the famous Judge Dredd, or..." The puppet master said to the air.

Dredd felt his hand move as the gun was now trained on Anderson.

"Judge Anderson?" The puppet master sneered.

Anderson had grabbed her gun and pointed it at Dredd, her eyes pleading with him. With his face covered, Anderson wouldn't be able to read his eyes and see that he wasn't in control as well.

"Or do I kill both of you? Hmm, decisions, decisions." The puppet master continued as he paced trying to think of what he could get them to do.

He had both Judge Dredd and Anderson under his full control. He could make them do whatever he wanted. Rob a bank, take over the justice department, and bring war to the city on such a massive scale that the judges would lose. Either way he had world domination in his mind. Looking at Anderson he saw her eyes looking at Dredd then a thought struck his mind. Dredd wouldn't willingly break the Judges rules but that hadn't stopped his mind from thinking dirty things about his fellow judge. The right thought nudge and the judge would be completely helpless. Dredd could only stand there as the puppet master filled his heads with dirty thoughts and images of Anderson. Trying to remain cool he tried to think of something else. However his body had other ideas. His pants felt tight and he felt warm. His pulse was racing and breathing increased. Looking at Anderson he saw her look scared as her eyes went wide knowing what was coming.

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**A/N:** Now I'm gonna run for the hills and prey I can out run even Judge Dredd for what I did lol


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Seems I survived the cliff-hanger long enough to write this next one. Thank you Darth Gilthoron for the constant pokes to my muse to get off my ass to write this lol

Also I want to thank everyone who reviewed. Reviews are the best way of encouraging an author to continue on with heir story so keep them coming

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**Chapter 7**

When Dredd awoke next he felt like for once in his life going back to sleep and never waking up. His mind still played what he had done to Anderson and it sickened him to think he was capable of such things. He'd always believed he was better than that and that it was only civilians that could commit such monstrosities. Maybe his brother was just the warning flag to him that he was also capable of such things. What made it worse was his body still felt pleasant from the act. Yes maybe under a normal situation with willing participates it was something to enjoy but when you're forced to do such an act on an unwilling participate and also an unwilling participate it was not enjoyable. Trying to will himself to disappear into the ground he was currently laying on he could hear a gut wrenching sob come from behind him. Slowly he sat up and began searching the sparse cell he was being held in. He could see the bathroom to his right and in front of him was the exit door. Looking at he could tell it was made of solid steel. Thinking a high ex round or armour piercing round would bust the lock he realised that the press of his Lawgiver into his leg wasn't there. Looking down confirmed that he had been disarmed of everything except his armour and clothes. He was actually still amazed that they had left his helmet on. Looking over his left shoulder he saw there was a single bed tucked in the corner and the sole occupant was curled up in a ball in the corner. Dredd didn't need to ask to know who it was; the short blonde hair was a giveaway as well as the Judges armour. Dredd stood up and tried to walk but his legs felt boneless but he was determined to get to her and it only took a few strides before he sat down on the edge of the bed. The sobbing stopped as his weight sank down. Dredd wasn't sure what he could do as far as he was concerned she probably wants to kill him for what he'd done to her, and he couldn't blame her. The woman rolled over and Dredd could see that she had been crying for quite some time. Pain was in her eyes as well as fear.

"Anderson..." Dredd started but couldn't get his voice to work more.

Instead he reached and placed a hand on her arm. He wanted her to know it wasn't him that was in control. A part of him was reasoning that she would know but the rest of him wanted it to be his words telling her. To his surprised she hadn't recoiled away from him, instead she placed a hand over his own and held him tightly.

"It wasn't me in control." Dredd managed to tell her even though it came out as a hoarse whisper.

Anderson only nodded and went to lie back down still holding Dredd's hand. But she sat more upright with her legs stretched out behind him and let go of his hand so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders and tucked her head into his collarbone and sobbed some more. Dredd hugged her back as he rested his chin on top of her head and rubbed her back to try and soothe her. The sobbing slowed down and he felt her finger tips claw at his armour trying to find purchase on it. Without warning the hand that was around his back left and came back down hard as she could with her fist balled up and started to thump him. Dredd just let her continue her assault; if it made her feel better then he would let her continue. She let him go as she leaned away from him but Dredd didn't see in time as she kicked out with both her feet and pushed him off the bed and onto the floor on his hands and knees. Growling in anger she jumped off the bed to land on him flipping him onto his back and started pummelling him with a battery of punches, splitting his lip in the process. It was only when she caught the edge of his helmet that she stopped due to the pain. Cursing and shaking her hand Dredd spied that she cut her hand between the knuckles on the edge of his helmet. Dredd lifted his knee hard enough to dislodge Anderson off him now that she was distracted with her hand. Not giving her a chance to recover Dredd grabbed the thick neck piece of her jacket and pulled her towards the bathroom. Dredd turned on the cold water letting it run when Anderson managed to break his hold and tried to escape but Dredd managed to spin her so her back hit the wall and he used his back to keep her there her fast breaths warming his neck as he kept her injured hand in the cold water as he gently started rubbing round the injury washing the blood away. A sharp point was aimed low on his waist and looking down he saw Anderson had gotten hold of her knife and was now pointing it at his groin, Dredd froze.

"Anderson you know neither one of us was in control of ourselves." Dredd said calmly.

Dredd could feel her breaths slow into deep pants; her hand shaking before the knife fell and clattered to the floor. Her free hand retreated behind Dredd as she clenched it into Dredd's back armour as much as it would allow in the rigid material. Dredd stepped forward and turned round to face her. Anderson withdrew her hand from his as she slid down the wall and sobbed on the floor. Dredd turned the water off and sank to the floor himself his feet just touching the wall opposite. After a few moments he tapped his boot into her hip when she didn't stop he tapped even harder. Anderson thumped his shin as hard as she could causing him to flinch his leg back and put it back. Anderson still looked unhappy and with a groan Dredd tapped his left foot on the wall and his right back into Anderson's hip to some beat only he could hear. Anderson tried her best not to smile but when she did Dredd stopped.

"That's better." Dredd says to her offering a slight smile as reassurance, "Ok what's the plan?"

Anderson thinks for a moment and sees in just a small fraction of a second that Dredd had gone from friend to partner.

"Find a way out of this cell, reclaim our stolen equipment and take out the Puppet Master." Anderson simplifies the plan.

Dredd nods and looks round the bathroom and leans slightly to look out into the main room.

"Steel walls, floor, ceiling and door, our only chance is when that door opens. Anderson anything we can use outside this room?" Dredd asks.

Anderson draws on her mental powers and glad she can get through the door. She can sense no human mind outside but she can sense the electrical pulse of droids.

"No humans so far only droids. We need Tek-Division to get them on our side." Anderson quips.

"Right guess we wait till someone human arrives. Any injuries, except your hand?" Dredd asks.

"Just my pride. I'm not letting that Son of a Bitch get the jump on me again sir." Anderson replied as she straightened out her legs.

Dredd tapped her hip, "Glad to hear it."

Anderson smiled and tapped him with her boot as well. She turned her head towards the door.

"He's coming." Anderson said as she sensed the Puppet Masters mind approaching.

Dredd nodded and stood up offering her his hand to help her up. Anderson went to but she didn't seem to completely trust him.

"Partners." Dredd said to her.

Anderson grabbed him with a strong grip at his forearm as he closed his around hers.

"Partners." Anderson confirmed.

They both walked into the main room as the waited to spring a trap on him. Anderson kept watch on what was going on. The door opened and Dredd quickly dispatched the two guards with some hard punches round the head. One of them tried to get back up again but Dredd calmly walked up behind the dazed man and snapped his neck. The Puppet Master continued to walk into the room as if the guard's deaths were part of a plan. Anderson was trying having a battle of the minds with him and Dredd could see that he was still calm while Anderson was starting to struggle. Feeling Dredd's eyes on her Anderson felt more determined to try harder and the Puppet Master was frozen on the spot. Dredd saw his opportunity and charged at him knocking him flying. Anderson pushed harder with her mind as the Puppet Master lost his connection and was being battered mentally by Anderson. Dredd bent down to pick up a gun when he felt a sharp prick to the base of his skull. He went to turn round but he could feel an electrical charge surge through his body as it controlled his movements. He tried to fight it but the electrical current was getting stronger. He was finding it hard to breathe as the current tightened his chest muscles and his ribs threatened to break entirely and puncture his lung. He had no alternative but to give up. The current eased as he was made to walk over to Anderson. Anderson stopped attacking as she shook her head not sure of what she had just seen in the Puppet Masters head as his plan. Before she could say anything Dredd had grabbed her from before and clamped a hand over her mouth reducing her outburst into a muffle. The Techie that had snuck up on Dredd now approached Anderson and placed a controlling chip on Anderson in the same place as Dredd. Dredd maintained his hold on her till she stopped fighting it herself. Now the two Judges had been subdued the Puppet Master stood up and stormed up to Anderson. Dredd could feel his anger rise but he was helpless to do anything.

"You little witch! How dare you attack me?" The Puppet Master yelled furious that Anderson had managed to get an upper hand on him, "No matter I'll soon put you in your place."

The Puppet Master sneered as he placed himself between Dredd and Anderson blocking Dredd's view of her as he whispered to her.

"I know you saw my plan for you and I look forward to the trying part as well." The Puppet Master smiled before kissing her on the lips.

Anderson wanted to hurl and beat the crap out of him but the control chip wouldn't let her move. Even Dredd tried to move no matter the pain even if he had to puncture his lung to stop him. The Puppet Master moved away and turned towards Dredd.

"Oh I haven't forgotten about you Judge Dredd. You who follows every rule to the letter and would do anything to protect your so-called beloved city. Well now it's time for the Judges to step down and let the criminals take over. How you might ask is I'm going to use the pair of you to do it. The two best Judges in the city to take down the Justice Department." The Puppet Master smiled before ordering his men to move out.

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Dredd and Anderson were back on their Lawmasters heading back to the Hall of Justice. Behind them a van followed them controlling their every movement. Once they got to the steps they both dismounted and headed up the steps as other Judges moved out of the way heading into the city for their shifts. None of them spoke to Dredd or Anderson as Dredd never replied and Anderson would always get into trouble from her stern partner if she did. Once at the top of the stairs Dredd and Anderson turned round and tapped a command into their wrist comms connected to their bikes. The bikes' voice control confirmed the command and within seconds they both detonated causing a huge explosion. Unknowing Judges were sent flying some of them missing body parts if they were too close to the bikes. Some Judges would only be identified by their badges as everything else was vaporised. Dredd and Anderson paid it no bother as they headed inside. Judges from inside raced outside to see what was going on. Dredd and Anderson kept on walking through the Halls as news spread of two Lawmasters exploding on the steps killing many Judges or maiming others. Once the news spread it was Judges Dredd and Andersons' bike they suddenly noticed the pair walking past them. It was too late as Dredd and Anderson threw grenades into the crowds as more bodies flew all over the place turning the grey walls red. The Judges that were still mobile and uninjured where stunned to believe that they were under attack by their own people. Dredd and Anderson drew their Lawgivers and began firing at the survivors as they went. The internal comms system activated as chaos descended in the Halls.

"This is Chief Judge Goodman. Retreat to the Council of Five chamber." The intercom ordered.

Judges all over who were still able bodied fled to protect the council. Some didn't as they ran and hid carrying injured as they went. Dredd and Anderson carried on to their target only killing Judges who dared to fire at them. Outside the Council Chambers a good forty Judges assembled and barricaded themselves in. Inside the Council of Five, Chief Judge Goodman along with heads of Departments from the SJS, Tek-Division, Academy of Law and Wally Squad were inside trying to figure out what was going on with Dredd and Anderson when they heard gunshots being fired.

Back outside the forty Judges unleashed a rain of bullets down the Hall. After emptying a mag they all quickly reloaded and after checking down the hall they saw their targets were still alive but taken cover. Two flares came towards them before they both splintered into smaller flares as the Judges realised that it was Incendiary Rounds. Screams and the smell of burning flesh filled the narrow hallway. Flames engulfed anything they touched some of the Judges tried to fight through the pain as one brave soul hit the fire button activating the sprinklers to try and douse the flames. Smoke billowed back towards Dredd and Anderson as they put their respirators on and hid further waiting to strike. Some late arriving Judges to defend tried to flank them but the smoke had them coughing alerting Dredd and Anderson. The new arrives were cut down in a hail of rapid fire. Once the smoke cleared and flames died down only Dredd and Anderson stood unscathed. Neither cared as they walked over the burnt remains of fallen comrades, nor respect the authority inside as Dredd kicked the door in. The five council men and women all stood to face them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Chief Judge Goodman asked.

Neither answered her. The dark skinned woman was getting annoyed. She was the reason Judge Anderson was trained as a Judge and even told Dredd that he was to assess her. Anderson turned her head towards the Head of the SJS. No words were spoken but the man suddenly screamed as he clutched his head trapped in some waking nightmare. Anderson now turned towards the woman completely opposite him the Head of Tek-Division. The woman started laughing manically as she drew her gun and shot the man next to her who was in charge of Wally Squad. The screaming SJS Judge jumped at the Academy of Law representative as the pair began beating each other to death. The victory went to the Academy of Law who was still confused about what was going on when he was shot in the head by Tek-Division who then shot herself stopping the maniac laughing. The Chief Judge was horrified at what had happened and was now regretting letting a psychic to be trained as a Judge. Before she could say another word Dredd raised his own Lawgiver and fired once delivering a clean killing blow between the eyes. A look of sheer horror and shock was etched on her eyes as they stared at the ceiling. Dredd holstered his weapon as he turned to walk out of the Justice HQ followed by Anderson. This would be known as the Day the Law Died.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Thanks to all of the reviews. I'm not sure on this chapter and it's not been beta'd (As I don't have one). Please leave a review.

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Dredd had hoped that their torment was over, that they were both about to be killed but they weren't so lucky. No sooner were they done with HQ then they were moved away to Sector Houses across the city. As they were driven away Dredd could only inwardly be glad when they passed the apartment blocks for the Judges and none were being attacked. After many weeks all Sector Houses had been destroyed and many Judges brutally slain as the Puppet Master took over crime rings as their boss. After two months of fighting Judges had become a rare sight on the street and when they did appear they were gunned down and hung up on lamp posts as a show to the citizens that the time of the Judges was over. Many citizens began fleeing for the Cursed Earth but a resistant cell of Judges kept them within. Apparently the newly appointed Chief Judge Cal believed he had the city under control. He believed it wouldn't be long before the crime rings would turn on each other trying to seize control for themselves. There were some in fighting but it wasn't long before bosses were replaced by another within the gang. The whole city became one big contained warzone. The Puppet Masters' droids had the upper hand in every combat. His Tech clan had been busy and constructed a hundred storey high version of their artillery droid. The droid would target a building and bombard it causing the residents and any gang member flee from the crumbling building as its smaller constructs the soldiers and assault droids would spray bullets at anyone fleeing out the doors. The small artillery droid had been retro-fitted to act as a sniper droid as well and picked off anyone that managed to escape the rain of lead. Some gangs tried to stay inside their blocks till the giant artillery droid was instructed to bring down the entire block. Not even the 200-storey blocks survived a bombardment. Whole sections were flattened as millions of innocents were also killed in the destruction. Smoke clogged the sky darkening it to a dark red as fires glowed everywhere. A haze filled the skyline from the fires blurring the red glow from the fires and the dark smoke.

Dredd and Anderson were still under mind control as well as the Tech Clans control chip in case they tried to talk. Corrupted judges had poured out of the woodwork in disbelieve that a renowned Judge such as Dredd was corrupt. But their thoughts of rallying to him in support turned into a slaughter as they were tricked to the Sector House at Sector 13. Dredd tried to fight the control not wanting to enter where he knew his colleagues worked. Some of them he'd been working with for years while some had only just been assigned due to the short life of some Judges. Entering the dark building he saw the resistant Judges had sent up barricades to slow any approach. Dredd had Anderson at his side but her psychic ability to know where people were was no longer in effect. Anderson had been trying to break her own mind control but it was leaving her weak. She had lost count of the amount of times she had fainted with blood dripping out of her nose only to be forced back up to her feet. But with her body so drained she was rarely used to fight the Puppet Masters' fight but as a booster for his psychic ability. Anderson stayed in the entrance room while Dredd went deeper into the building. Clanking sounded either side of Anderson as two assault droids followed Dredd and a further two guarded Anderson. Dredd walked room to room, hall to hall sweeping every area and shooting at any Judges he saw. Being he was controlled by someone else his aim wasn't like his own so the assault droids usually got the kill shot but he would getting a wounding shot, slowing the fleeing Judges. Once Sector 13 was cleaned out of Judges all that was left was corpses and blood. Dredd just wanted to lift his Lawgiver to his head and pull the trigger.

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Once back to their cell Dredd and Anderson were released from the control and left with a small box of medical supplies and some food and drink. Dredd sank to his knees hard in disbelieve of what he had been made to do. Even under control he couldn't believe he had done as he fought so hard to shake it but couldn't. He was weak and a complete failure. So many Judges had died at either his or Andersons' hands. Dredd didn't like being caged up waiting for his brain to be picked. He was tempted to bash his head in against a wall like a Great White Shark would when it was held in captivity. But unlike the shark in the past he wouldn't be freed, his head bashing would result in his death. But looking over at his exhausted partner he knew he had to stay alive otherwise it would be her doing all the damage. He was barely coping with it but it would destroy her. He knew being a psychic left her open for emotional trauma. Sitting on the edge of the bed he watched her sleep as she mental fought the Puppet Masters' control in a bid to free them. Laying a hand on her arm he noticed she didn't move so Dredd took his leave to the bathroom and shut the door. Removing his belt buckle he used the edge of one its wings and etched onto the tiled walled a list of names of the Judges he had murdered. He noticed some of the writing was a little wavier than his own and figured Anderson had noticed and added her own. Dredd hated that the fallen Judges badges would not be taken to the Hall of Heroes, instead they were used as trophies for the gangs as symbols that the Judges were dying.

Looking down at his hands they were shaking like mad even when he clenched his fists they were still shaking. He took off his helmet and set it down along with his gloves. He stared at his own reflection in the mirror for ages before he noticed the gold glint of his name badge. Removing it from its slot in his chest plate he ran his fingers over the etched badge noting the imperfections caused from numerous scraps and scuffs during his time of service. It was covered in blood splatter from those he had killed and looking at his armour he saw more blood. Blood he'd spilt as he slaughtered his way through HQ and Sector Houses. He knew it wasn't his right mind that had pulled the trigger but his body had still reacted to the foreign presence in his head like it was his own. Guilt weighed heavy on him and the badge in his hand felt heavier with each passing moment till he had to hold it with both hands but still the weight was too much for him. He didn't deserve the badge anymore, he wasn't a Judge anymore. The badge slipped from his fingers and Dredd only watched as the eagle shaped badge didn't fly like the bird it represented but crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. Dredd fell to the floor onto his knees and balled up fists trying to support his weight before his body felt as heavy as his badge. Struggling with his remaining strength he crawled into the shower but couldn't lift his arm to turn the tap. Sitting on the floor with his back to the wall and his eyes closed Dredd could only let imagination fill the room up with water, his guilt like a concrete coffin around him holding him on the bottom as the water went above his head drowning him. He waited for the inevitable to happen, waiting for the cold chill of death to reach in with its icy fingers and close around his heart and snuffling the final beat it'll ever make.

It took Dredd ages to realise that the cold he had been feeling was actual cold water hitting him. The beating he could hear wasn't his heart but water drumming off his armour. The concrete coffin weight around him was in fact a person clinging to him as though they could anchor them from a similar fate. Opening his eyes slowly Dredd noted the heavy drops falling onto something golden. He soon realised it was Anderson trying to claw her way into him. Anderson must be feeling the same guilt as he. Dredd may have murdered the Chief Judge but Anderson had been the one to set the other four council members on each other. He didn't normally do close but right now he couldn't even lift his arms to wrap her up in them. He tried to but his body was now a dead weight but he finally managed to summon one last ounce of strength and place an arm around her.

"It wasn't your fault Joe, it was mine." Anderson said to him.

"Don't." Dredd replied hoarsely as if he hadn't spoken before as well as holding back a sob at the same time.

"Why should you take all the blame? I was just as responsible if not more. I should have sensed it was a psychic to begin with. I should have fought him harder to stop him taking over our minds." Anderson sobbed at him trying to yell but her voice was too strained from crying.

"Nothing is ever your fault." Dredd spoke as confidently as he could.

"I am to blame!" Anderson yelled with so much anger that she had unleashed a psi-blast.

Dredd could only watch in amazement as the water droplets were repelled away from them like a bubble expanding around them. Looking at Anderson eyes he could see the normal grey-blue eyes had taken on a glow around the edge.

"Easy Anderson, unless you plan on frying my brain to death." Dredd said to her hoping to calm her down.

Anderson let out her breath as her power faded the water dropped back down following the laws of gravity. Dredd managed to reach up now and switch the water off.

"What did I just do? I've never done that before." Anderson asked as she was in shock of her own abilities.

"It seems your abilities are growing in power." Dredd replied coming to the most logical conclusion.

"I don't want them to get stronger." Anderson said in fear and it was seen by Dredd.

"Why not? Maybe you can defeat that psychic creep and we can get out of here." Dredd explained.

Anderson looked like a scared animal with the cage door unlocked, the knowledge that once you break out you'll be trapped some other way.

"I want to stay away from him, don't let him near me Joe." Anderson was practically pleading with him.

"Anderson we're in a cell with no way out." Dredd pointed out as he couldn't place why she was suddenly so terrified of the creep, "What is the problem?"

Anderson paused to consider how to word it but she couldn't. The whole thing sickened her and she didn't want to be a part of it. Anderson stayed quiet ignoring Dredds' question. Dredd rolled his eyes and left the bathroom and plonked himself down on the floor with his back to the wall opposite the door. Water still ran tiny rivers down his face and neck and Dredd hoped with them they could wash some of the guilt away or maybe him. Anderson spotted his fallen badge and picked it up as she did so she spotted his helmet and it dawned on her that she hadn't even noticed. She had gotten so used to seeing just his jaw that looking above was usually pointless considering all you'd see is the red cross over the black visor. Now she was curious to actually see what he looked like but at the same time she didn't want to as it added mystery to him. Standing in the doorway she noted he was definitely human making her smile at how stupid that sounded. She only got to take in his short dark hair before the light dimmed to shadows. She heard him huff at the change in light clearly not likely the fact to be reminded that day is over. Carefully she walked over to him and sat down next to him nevertheless no matter how much stealth she put into the walk it didn't escape his attention. Dredd inclined his head slightly towards her showing he knew she was there. Anderson shuffled over more till she could feel his body next to hers. Leaning forward and turning towards him she tried to study his face in the dim light. Shifting more towards him she held his badge and felt across his chest till she found the slot to replace it. Dredd watched her closely not sure why she would place his badge back where it didn't belong. Anderson snuggled into his side then leaving one arm around his chest fingering over his badge.

"What if I told you I saw part of his plan for me? That he intends to have a child with me against my will." Anderson admitted finally answering his question.

Dredd felt sickened now at the thought that some creep would do such a thing to Judge. Murdering a Judge was bad enough but at least they were dead and didn't suffer any more from what the creep did. But for Anderson it would be worse, a slow death being tormented day after day knowing in the end you had brought life into the world to be used for evil intent. Dredd wrapped an arm round her small shoulders and pulled her closer to him wishing there was something he could do to help her after all that is what friends do.

Anderson shuffled closer still trying to crawl under his armour and into that fortress of his. She couldn't help it when she peeked into his mind to see if she could get into that place but all she was guilt and the walls broken. The sense of law and control she normally felt from his mind was no longer there. The ground was like looking out into Cursed Earth. Once again she saw his badge on the floor. Anderson knew he felt that both physically and mentally he had failed as a Judge but she knew better. Lifting the badge so it floated in front of her she made the badge bigger till it was the size of a door before knocking on it. Dredd was now aware she was in his head but answered the knock anyway only to see Anderson trying to re-build his walls changing guilt to truth that it wasn't his fingers that pulled the trigger it was the Puppet Master. The Puppet Master was the one who had destroyed everything he knew. It took them both to rebuild his mind back to what she knew it to be and in the end Dredd accepted truth and he was determined to set things right. Anderson withdrew from his mind and hugged him glad to have him back.

"Thank you." Dredd said to her.

Anderson smiled knowing it was a rare thing to ever hear him say that to anyone. Now Dredd was back to normal she still had to figure out her own problem of stopping the Puppet Master from getting what he wants from her.

Dredd wrapped his other arm around her and that's when Anderson got an idea.

"Joe what if you got me pregnant first?" Anderson asked.

"That would foil his plan." Dredd replied before it sunk in what she meant, "You what?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

Anderson didn't need light to know he had eyes like a deer in headlights. Even his pulse was beating hard enough to feel through the chest plate.

"Joe I'm being serious." Anderson told him as she pulled away from him arms. "Look I don't want this at all but I'd rather it was you than the alternative."

Dredd couldn't believe her cheek of suggesting he would do such a thing. No correction he could believe it. Dredd could see too many risks in the plan to be a good plan as well as breaking the rules. But Dredd knew he had Anderson life in his hand and they were quite possibly the last two Judges. Nope you don't become a Judge this way its training.

"Oh no! I am not going to do this as I don't want this either! I'm a Judge not a father!" Dredd replied and he couldn't hide the anger and panic in his voice.

"I'm a Judge too remember! You do know I could make you do it." Anderson pointed out.

Dredd spun round on her with so much anger on his face it was pure rage. Grabbing her body armour he pulled her roughly to her feet and higher before shoving backwards and slamming Anderson like a rag doll against the wall. Anderson head hit the wall and she saw stars but Dredd still had a grip on her keeping her suspended.

"Don't you dare! For the past few months I've had no control on my actions and I will not allow you to do the same to me!" Dredd snarled at her so loud that Anderson was wincing.

Dredd kept a hold of her before letting her go and walked over to another wall to sit down. Anderson slumped down the wall stunned and in pain. Dredd was seething with rage that if Anderson squinted her eyes she could see the heat haze around him. She wouldn't really take over his mind she was a victim of that as well but she had to get him to see her point that if he didn't help then that was what would happen to her. Ignoring the warning Anderson picked herself up and sat down next to him getting a flare of his nostrils in anger.

Dredd was trying to formulate a good argument in his head why it was wrong when he felt weight in his lap and arms round his neck. Anderson was straddling his lap and staring into his eyes pleading that he'll do it. The heat drained from him as it travelled down south. Trust his body to think it was a good idea.

"What would you do if we were the last Judges?" Anderson asked.

Dredd had to think on that. If they were the last of Judges then they had no hope of re-taking the city. He'd be on his own as he couldn't risk Anderson in the field if he did as she asked of him. But then again where would be safe for her to hide while he risked his life in the city. What if he never came back? Would it be better to run for Cursed Earth and try to make a living out there? Abandon his training and be a normal person. A father to a child he'd only conceived to save the mother. Could he learn to truly love Anderson enough to be a family man in their new life as failed Judges? But then what about the other cities? Could they run to one of them? He doubted any of them would take them in. Thinking about it why hadn't any of the other cities come to take over this city. East-Meg has been dying to have a have another pop. Mega-City Two was still recovering from that plague. However none of the other cities were in Mega-City One, so there must be some form of communication from the Justice Department to them. Telling them to stay away or asking for aid which wouldn't come. That gave hope to Dredd that there were still Judges alive fighting back maybe. All he had to do was escape and find them. Realising he hadn't answered her he went to say something when he felt her rested her forehead on his and Dredd could feel her tears fall on his cheeks.

"Please Joe." Anderson pleaded and Dredd thought for a moment she was just hugging him when her head rested on his collarbone.

How wrong was he when her lips kissed randomly over his neck and jaw and up to his ear, chanting a 'please' after every kiss. By the time she had gotten to his ear her voice was like silk to him. He tried to resist her but her idea made sense. Dredd tried to concentrate on the risks and the problems that might happen. Judge Dredd a father didn't ring at all, never had, never will. But he was faced with two evils. Break the rules of being a judge, or let a perp ruin a good judge. His mind raced to try and weigh the outcomes to make the right choice.

"Anderson this is wrong. You can't guarantee you'll fall pregnant first time. That creep could still get you." Dredd tried to argue.

"Oh so you want to keep trying after this?" Anderson drawled leaving Dredd imitating a fish.

Before he could think again he'd realised he was too distracted with her lips to notice that she had now undone his belt and pants. She kissed him squarely on the lips and continued her pleading. She didn't want to force him into it but she had to do something and the only other alternative she could think of was death and she wasn't ready to die just yet. Dredd tried to steel himself from temptation knowing she wouldn't go further without his consent. It was just no matter what argument he come up with he would have to live with the knowledge that he hadn't helped Anderson at all and leave her to a fate worse than death. Dredd rumbled before kissing Anderson back and pushing off the wall to pin her beneath him.

"Oh bugger it!" Dredd growled.

* * *

Darkness, icy and unwelcoming. No hope and no light. Fear filled the air as though there was a monster behind you breathing its hot sticky breath onto your neck and no matter how many times you turned you never saw it. A noise sounded somewhere in inky blackness. The noise got louder and turned into a wail from an infant as it cried in fear of what was around it. The Puppet Master entered the void heading towards the vulnerable infant trying to claim it as his own. Before he could reach it a fist connected with his face cracking his face like glass. The owner of the fist was a dominating male street Judge. The name badge was obscured slightly hiding his identity. The Puppet Master tried to psi attack him but the Judge wouldn't back down drawing his Lawgiver and fired. The whole scene seems to go as slow as a slo-mo inhaler makes the mind think it is as the armour piercing bullet spiralled slowly, leaving a twister of air behind it. The psi bolt exploded harmlessly as the bullet carried on and then shattered the Puppet Master. The Judge turned his attention to the crying baby now the criminal had been taking down and he could protect the child. However before he could reach the baby a gold eagle flew down and grabbed the baby before the Judge could get there. The eagle was too quick for even the lightning reflexes of a Judge. The Judge let out a growl that seemed to vibrate the whole image shaking the badge clearing the name on his badge, DREDD.

Anderson woke up with a start a cold sweat was covering her as she tried to calm her rapid breathing. Looking around her she noted Dredd was still sound asleep behind her, if anything the only thing he did in reaction to Anderson stirring was shuffle from his side to his back to take up more space. She couldn't remember when they had moved from the floor to the bed. Neither can she remember when they had both passed out but it was enough to even 'spark out' even Judge Dredd. Anderson could only roll her eyes as she headed to the bathroom. The vision was still there in her mind. It gave her hope that they were going to defeat the Puppet Master but the rest baffled her slightly and the crying still rang in her ears while she splashed water over her face trying to drown out the images and the ringing crying.

Returning to the bed she saw Dredd was now completely covering it as he had an arm and a leg hanging over the edge of the bed. With his helmet off Anderson could only smile at the sight. Stifling a yawn Anderson lay down on top of him. The weight to his chest seemed to trigger a sleepy response from him as his arms encircled her, one around her shoulder the other her lower back as he opened his eyes slowly as his vision tried to clear. Once he realised it was Anderson he kept his arm around her lower back. His other hand moved to her cheek noting her cold damp skin. He gave her a quizzed look but she only rested her head on his chest feeling safe and went back to sleep, Dredd soon followed completely oblivious to the troubled mind of his partner.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thanks to those few who reviewed. Due to lack of reviews, as I don't count favs or story alerts as interest in a story only reviews, this story is going on the 'on hold' list.

**Chapter 9**

Dredd awoke later on this time on the floor and a slight pain in his shoulder, looking up at the bed he saw Anderson flat on her stomach like a starfish. He only shrugged as he guessed it was fair payment for hogging the bed earlier. Picking himself up and stretching out his joints Dredd headed to the bathroom to retrieve his helmet as well as clean himself up. It wasn't till he looked himself in the mirror that the previous night's events recalled in his mind. He felt ashamed for breaking the rules of celibacy but he didn't have much choice. He regretted it but there was nothing he could do about it now but let nature take its course but he wasn't sure which outcome would be deemed lucky. Dredd placed his helmet back on before going back into the main room. Anderson had begun thrashing about, gripped by some unseen assailant. Dredd ran over to her and grabbed her arms and began shaking her to wake up. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and Dredd saw the hint of the golden glow of psi power. Her breathing was completely erratic and Dredd could tell from her body language that whatever it was had scared her. Dredd was surprised when she pulled her hands free from his tight grip and grabbed the thick padded collar of his armour, pulling Dredd closer so all she could see was his black visor and the red X in her vision.

"He knows! He knows what we did and he's on his way now!" Anderson yelled at him before her build up on unspent energy drained and she fell back on them bed.

Dredd tried to piece together what she meant and came to one conclusion, the Puppet Master. He shook Anderson again but she wouldn't rouse which made Dredd annoyed considering he needed her awake now. Racing into the bathroom he removed his helmet and filled it with cold water before heading back into the room, dumping the water over her. While Anderson shrieked in surprise, Dredd replaced his helmet back on before tapping her thigh as he went to face the door.

"Get up." Dredd ordered as he tried to think of a plan.

"You're no fun in the morning." Anderson groaned as she stood up in her wet armour.

Dredd merely snorted before turning to face Anderson.

"How long before he's here?" Dredd asked.

"Not long, maybe a few minutes max. He's pissed." Anderson replied as she could sense his anger like a bright red bull charging through a maze of a Tower Block.

"Do you think you can beat him mentally?" Dredd asked remembered seeing that gold glow in her eyes.

Anderson shook her head not feeling strong enough.

"Can you shield yourself at least?" Dredd asked.

Anderson tempted to but the anger from the Puppet Master shattered it like glass as he approached but he didn't try to take her over. Anderson realised his anger is aimed at Dredd and it wasn't going to end well if he had his way. Before she could warn him the Puppet Master and two of his Techie guards had entered the room. With a slight nod if his head the Techie guards charged at the Judges. Dredd stepped back at the last moment making the guard miss his mark. Before he could recovery Dredd had grabbed him and spun him round to face the Puppet Master so he could see the look of terror on his minions face before snapping his neck. Anderson had also dispatched her assailant with a deadly roundhouse kick to his head. The reinforced boots of a Judge made the impact feel like he had been thrown over a speeding bike into a solid wall. The Puppet Master only shook his head in disappointment but not at his guards. Anderson tried to place it but it was too late. The guards were a distraction so he could slip into Dredd mind. The Puppet Master froze his movements making him stand there while he inflicted mental pain.

In Dredd's head he was running through a dark labyrinth with no escape. Behind him he was being chased by an adversary who could predict his every movement. Dredd feigned a left but his pursuer anticipated the move as a bullet tore through his armour and biting the flesh at his side. Dredd groaned in pain slamming into the wall on his injured side. The pain was worse than normal, intensified somehow. He gripped the wall for support to catch a breath when it melted causing Dredd to fall to a barren desert like surface. It wasn't Cursed Earth as the dry heat wasn't there neither was the smell or the feel of radiation on his skin. It took him a few moments to realise he was on Titan. Looking around him he saw he was alone. Dredd was finding it hard to breath and he wasn't sure if it was his oxygen starved brain or if he saw a hooded figure walking over to him before he collapsed to the ground lying on his side. The dark shadow got closer and Dredd slowly recognised it as a person from his past, his own brother Rico Dredd.

"Hello little brother, I was wondering when you would start making the same mistake as me. I told you we were the same." Rico said as he crouched down next to him.

Dredd tried to breathe so he could say something to him but only valuable air escaped his lips.

"Don't worry Joe; you'll be my twin again soon enough and we can chat again." Rico said as he pulled back his hood to show all the implants on his face so he could work in the harsh environment of titan.

Dredd tried to get away but all he could do was crawl. His fingers digging into gritty ground to pull himself along but he only got a few feet away before Rico took two steps and caught up with him.

"You can't get away that easy. It was very nice of you to try to give little Vienna a brother or sister. But like everything else all you do is try but you'll always fail. I'm better than you in every way." Rico sneered at him as he held Dredd down on his back, "Now hold still my little brother, it only hurts forever."

Dredd's screams were silent as Rico butchered his face and put the implants into place. Rico laughed after he had finished as Dredd reached a tentative hand to his face feeling the slippery metal as it was still covered in his blood. Dredd's next scream was grated as it wasn't from his lips which had been sealed shut but a speaker attached to his Adam's apple.

Anderson had to flinch as Dredd let out a blood curling scream as he was on his knees. The Puppet Master laughed as he freed Dredd and laughed more as he watched Dredd touch his face to make sure the implants weren't there. Anderson had never heard him scream like that neither had she seen him looking so frightened. Whatever the Puppet master had done in his head had shaken him to his very core. The Puppet Master turned his attention to Anderson now.

"Kill him." The Puppet Master ordered.

"Never!" Anderson yelled back.

"I can make you do it." The Puppet Master sneered and Anderson had to cringe as she had said the same line to Dredd.

But like Dredd she wanted to have her own free will in this but she didn't know how she was supposed to kill Dredd without actually killing him.

"Do it! I won't have him around fouling my plans anymore." The Puppet Master was furious.

Anderson could see why but she wasn't about to kill her friend. The Puppet Master clicked his fingers and in walked an artillery droid; its long barrelled gun aimed point-blank range to Dredd's skull. There was no way he could survive this.

Anderson had no choice as she summoned up all her power and focused on Dredd. Just as she was about to release the focused blast, Dredd turned to face her. This threw Anderson off as she unleashed the raw psychic power towards him and lost her focus so it hit Dredd all over. Behind his visor his eyes rolled back into his skull as his jaw went slack. Dredd felt like his whole body had been hit by a runaway freight train. The energy surged like electricity yet burned like fire but left in its wake numbness. Dredd could smell blood for a moment as blood poured from his nose and felt it trickling out of his ears. He couldn't believe the pain it was causing and he felt angry and betrayed that Anderson would attack him. The pain overloaded his senses as his world went black the only thing holding him up was Anderson psi-attack. When she released him from the attack it was like all the bones in Dredd's body had been removed as he collapsed to the ground un-moving. Anderson went to go to him but the Puppet Master had grabbed her in an iron grip and was pulling her away. Anderson tried to reach into his mind but she couldn't sense anything, it was like he wasn't there. As she was led away she couldn't believe she had done it, she had killed Judge Dredd.

* * *

Leave a review below so i'll write more


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Hello all and thanks for the reviews, they did keep me writing although I had planned to post this last week. Had a friend coming to stay and an Apocalypse 40k game last weekend (sadly my army, 'Sons of Dredd' as they have been named, all died after my Psyker failed to Puppet Master a unit – though our side won in the end lol

Also a huge thanks to Darth Gilthoron for beta this chapter – THANKS!

On with the chapter, please leave a nice review to keep me writing chapter 11 and I'll try not leave it so long before another update.

**Chapter 10**

Anderson was still in disbelief as the Puppet Master laughed. Something in her snapped and she turned on him summoning whatever psi-energy she had left and aimed it at him. It wasn't enough to kill him but it sure stunned him. Before he could recover Anderson grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and threw him towards the wall. Mentally she attacked him with such anger. As she bored through his mind finding any information that she could attack him with she saw him with another Judge, the new Chief Judge Cal. Rooting deeper she saw they had struck a deal concerning her, Dredd and the Council. She meant to push deeper but she had heard a noise and she turned towards it, staring in disbelief.

Dredd's head was pounding; he could barely hear let alone breathe through his nose due to clogged blood. Standing up he was disorientated because of his impaired hearing. Shaking his head he blinked several times till he could focus on Anderson and the Puppet Master who was also just as stunned as Anderson pinned to the wall.

"You're dead!" The Puppet Master shrieked in a panic.

Anderson was filled with relief she hadn't killed him but she still couldn't sense him using her psi abilities. Dredd was confused at why he thought he was dead. He went to go over to him to finish what had been a long and torturous case. The Puppet Master knew he had to escape fast. His psi abilities seemed weakened and he still couldn't sense Dredd. He brought a knee up hard causing Anderson to let go and stumble back clutching at her stomach from the blow. The Puppet Master decided to flee from the room to recover and think of an escape plan. Dredd tried to catch him but he wasn't fully recovered as his limbs still weren't quite obeying him. Dredd clenched his teeth in annoyance at his slow reactions. Thankfully in his hurry to escape the Puppet Master left the door open. Dredd went over to Anderson.

"You ok?" He asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah he just caught me by surprise." Anderson replied as she stood back up again.

"You sure?" Dredd insisted as he held her arm to make sure she was.

"I'm sure, no damage done." Anderson confirmed staring at his hand.

She was confused as she could see him, hear him and touch him yet her psionic couldn't pick him up. He was a void to her; she tried to enter his mind through his touch but nothing. Somehow she had made him immune to psychics. This surprised Anderson and proof that her abilities had in fact been getting stronger as time went one. Then she had hit the Puppet Master with a similar blast but it was focussed but it still left him clearly weakened. A small victory but the fight wasn't over yet.

"Why did you think I was dead?" Dredd wanted to know.

"I can't sense you with my psychic abilities. I seem to have rendered you invisible to psychics." Anderson offered the only explanation she had.

"So my thoughts are my own?" Dredd asked.

"It seems that way." Anderson replied since she couldn't pick up any of his thoughts.

Dredd merely shrugged as he headed out of their cell; he searched the small lobby area for their gear but found nothing. Anderson joined him as Dredd was now searching further away. Soon they heard running and the pair hid behind a wall and waited. Two armed men came around the corner. Anderson tripped the first man up, sending him sprawling to the floor while Dredd clotheslined him with such force the man was flat on his back choking. Dredd wasted no time in finishing him off as he turned his attention to the man Anderson was trying to subdue. Dredd picked up the dead man's gun and with careful aim shot the struggling man in the head.

"You bloody idiot!" Anderson yelled as she tried to read his mind before it was gone.

It was only Dredd's forceful grab of her collar that pulled her out of the dead man's mind in time.

"Whoa," Anderson said as she wasn't sure if she was dizzy from the mind-reading or being thrown against the wall by Dredd.

"Mind explaining yourself!" Dredd snapped, not liking being called an idiot.

"We needed a live one so I can find out where our equipment is." Anderson snapped back as she shoved Dredd away before picking up the last discarded gun.

Dredd felt a little stupid that he hadn't thought of that.

"Next time tell me the plan." He said finally as he led the way through the halls looking for another person for Anderson.

Anderson just glared at his retreating back as she followed him. They searched the rooms in passing but found nothing. At once they heard clanking footsteps behind them. Dredd broke into a run, Anderson was a few steps behind him as the walls beside her erupted into fragments and dust from the gun fire at their backs. Anderson kept running and raised her left arm to shield her face from the flying debris. Suddenly she got a flash in her mind's eye of an explosion beside her and before she could react, the pipe that she was running past exploded in flames sending her flying sideways into a door. The force of the impact sent her smashing through the wooden panel and crashing to the ground with a hard thud which propelled her sideways as she rolled over her shoulders and only stopping when her legs hit the ground. She let out a shuddered gasp as she could smell burnt leather, and when she looked at her shoulder, which had taken the brunt of the impact, it was charred and lightly smoking, but the damage hadn't gone through to the flesh. Dredd reappeared almost as quickly with a forward roll into the room so he could grab her gun. Anderson tried to move but felt something in her side. Looking down her left side she saw a small piece of metal sticking out just above her hip. Anderson stopped moving as it was a thin a shard and she didn't want it to snap.

The two assault droids stood by the door, one continued to fire down the hallway the other entered the room with Anderson. Anderson kept her wide eyes on the metal monster as she blindly searched beside her for her Lawgiver but she couldn't feel it and she didn't want to move her eyes away. Outside the room the droid that had been firing towards Dredd, exploded as an armour piercing round shattered its microchip brain. Its companion registered his fallen comrade and determined that the injured female was not a big threat. By the time it had spun round to face the door, Dredd was stood in the doorway, Lawgiver already drawn and aimed. The droid only managed to let out a split second of a chitter before its head exploded like its fallen partner. the droid hit the ground with a loud thud, smashing a crate hidden beside the door, sparks fizzing and dying. Letting out a breath he had been holding to steady his aim, Dredd turned his attention to Anderson who was still lying on the ground.

"Get up; we haven't got time to lie around." Dredd ordered as he checked the corridors.

"Can't move. Splinter in my side." Anderson panted out.

Dredd turned his gaze back to Anderson as his eyes wandered over her body looking for anything out of the ordinary. It didn't take long to find the shard sticking out of her side. He knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her back along the same line as the shard had punctured her body. Anderson winced noticeably.

"We don't know how deep it goes." Dredd told her.

"I can't move. One wrong twist and it could snap, leaving a piece still in." Anderson countered.

"If it hasn't snapped by the way you barrelled in here then you can move." Dredd commented as he had seen her when the wall exploded.

"Get it out!" Anderson snapped, thumping his shin in anger.

Dredd had already got up and headed to the doorway.

"Get back here!" Anderson shouted.

Dredd let out a groan as he rolled his eyes. Figuring she was go to let her stubborn streak get the better of her he went back to Anderson.

"Shut up! I wasn't going to leave you, just making sure the area is clear." Dredd told her making Anderson blush a bit as she hadn't thought about that.

Dredd replaced his hand on her back and slowly slid his other under Anderson's stomach, carefully holding either side of the wound, and rolled her onto her side. Anderson groaned in pain but kept her body straight as she allowed Dredd to move her. She watched as Dredd pulled off his right glove and spat it out beside him. With his fingers clear of its reinforced leather constraint, he gently touched the metal shard and noticed it was already slick with blood. Thankfully it was stuck in the fabric that covered her side but it was still tough material. Without warning he wrapped his hand round the shard and pulled hard. Anderson let out a scream before sinking her teeth into her arm to drown out the noise. It took a few moments before the metal shard moved and slid out. Dredd practically fell backwards as his head bounced off a wooden crate he hadn't noticed was behind him shattering it open. The shard flew out of his hands and struck the wall like a dagger. Both of Anderson's hands flew to her side now as she clutched at the wound, blood pouring and pooling around her. Dredd noticed behind that the crate held their equipment and he wasted no time in seizing the med kit. Anderson was going pale and slipping away.

"Hang in there." Dredd ordered as he grabbed his knife as well.

He undid her armour and quickly tossed it aside as he lifted her tank top, soaked with her own blood to see the stab wound.

"Why is it always the smallest cuts that bleed the most?" Anderson mumbled.

"No idea," Dredd replied. He could see the wound but had no idea if there were any more pieces inside, "This is going to hurt." He warned.

"No, stop!" Anderson yelled in panic when she saw the knife.

"You wanted the lump of metal out. But I have to make sure it's all gone." Dredd pointed out.

"Yeah, well, watch how far you stab. Look, forget it now, I can move. That creep isn't going to stay weak for long." Anderson protested as she tried to squirm out of Dredd's hold.

Dredd held her down after he placed the knife on the floor, pressing her stomach along the trajectory of the wound to see if he could feel anything. Anderson still complained and ended up fighting him back when he placed a knee on her other side.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dredd barked as he backed off.

Anderson seemed to withdraw within herself at the question.

"What if… if I am… you know…?" Anderson tried to phrase it but she felt protective and saying it would make her vulnerable.

Dredd rolled his eyes not that she could see from behind his visor.

"I seriously doubt that anything will come of last night and besides we're Judges." Dredd's voice was stern.

Anderson tried to think of something to reply with but Dredd was back on her again. Anderson's side sizzled and burned as Dredd used the sealant on her, closing her wound before he used the auto stitch machine.

"Ow! Jerk!" Anderson snarled at him.

"You're welcome." Dredd replied as he rummaged through the destroyed crate and recovered his remaining kit.

Anderson finished bandaging her stomach before putting her armour jacket back on and picking up what was left of the gear. In the meantime, Dredd noticed quite a few cases of ammo clips at the bottom of the crate. He made sure they both had maximum amount of clips as he hid some extras in pouches around his belt, and Anderson did the same.

Anderson soon picked up the Puppet Master's psi signature.

"He's on the roof." Anderson told Dredd.

Dredd gave no reply except a nod of his head before heading out of the room with Anderson tailing him. Between them they made short work of any force that got between them and their quarry. They found the stairs to the roof and headed up only pausing at the door. Anderson was surprised when Dredd didn't apply a boot to the door but instead opened it quietly. It still amazed her how someone as tall and covered in armour as Dredd could walk so silently. However, Anderson had the same training, and she silently crept out onto the roof as well. The noise of the wind this high up was deafening and Anderson had a bit of trouble seeing with her loose hair blowing everywhere. Anderson tried to tuck her hair back behind her ears but it wasn't long before a gust of wind would unhook it. Growling she looked at Dredd who just tapped his helmet. Anderson just pulled a sarcastic face as if to say 'ha ha ha'. Dredd just gave a rare smirk of amusement to which Anderson stuck her tongue out at him. Dredd contemplated grabbing it but he had a mission that was long overdue to finish. Once Anderson was done with her hair she motioned with her gun in the general direction of the Puppet Master. Hiding behind a low wall, they watched as the Puppet Master paced back and forth clearly waiting for something. Anderson reached out carefully and noted that his psionics were still low from her last attack and he had no knowledge they were there. Dredd removed the front clip of his Lawgiver and removed two slugs before replacing the clip. Anderson watched him, not sure what he was planning.

"Think you can distract him?" Dredd asked directly into her ear so she could hear him as he kept the two slugs loose in his hand and his eyes trained on the Puppet Master.

"What are you going to do?" Anderson asked to no avail as Dredd had already begun walking away, keeping a crouch behind the wall. "Bloody typical Dredd attitude," She muttered to herself.

Anderson looked over the wall and saw the Puppet Master was still completely oblivious to their presence. When she turned round to try and get a fix on Dredd's location he had disappeared, causing Anderson to curse into the wind. Looking around her to get an idea of her surrounding she saw she was on a raised platform with a drop to her left forming a narrow passageway before another raised platform. Behind the passageway was the hole in the roof, one fall from there and it's a more than 200 storey fall to the ground. Something had been bothering her about the Puppet Master and his connection to Cal. She hadn't shared it with Dredd yet since she wasn't sure and it was only a quick flash. Closing her eyes slowly as she drew on her power to search him out, reaching into the psychics mind she didn't care if he knew she was there as long as she could cause pain. When suddenly he put up his shields blocking her probing, she tried to push through but he wouldn't let her. It wasn't till she felt pain in her back that she realised that she had given away her position. Opening her eyes she was on her back with the Puppet Master pinning her down. Gritting her teeth together in annoyance to hide her shame at a rookie mistake.

"You're a clever witch to try and counter my plan for you. I thought being Judges you two wouldn't cross that line. Still no matter, if I don't get you then the Justice department will still get you." The Puppet Master sneered as he informed her.

Her vision of a golden eagle randomly flashed back in her mind.

"What do you mean by that?" Anderson asked in anger as she tried to throw him off, annoyed that she couldn't shake him away.

The Puppet Master used her own attack to roll away and drag her with him. He stopped on the edge of the platform they were on while he let go of Anderson so she fell backwards a few feet and down into the narrow gap. She hit the ground with a thud as pain flared up her back and into her skull as well as the feeling that the stitches had torn in her side. Letting out a small grunt of pain she went to stand up but she felt hands grab her belt and the thick padded collar before being picked up and thrown into the wall she had just fallen down against. She could taste blood in her mouth from biting the inside of her cheek. Once the Puppet was sure she wasn't going to fight back for a little while he leant in close to her ear.

"Cal is the one who wants you. I was going to stab him in the back like you did me." He whispered.

"Liar!" Anderson yelled as she pushed back against him.

"But I'm not. Did you know that Cal paid me protection money? Why do you think out of all those high ranking Judges in the Council he wasn't there? How someone like him has managed to work his way up the ranks?" The Puppet Master revealed.

"So who runs the city? You or him?" Anderson asked wishing Dredd would hurry up and get his backside here.

"At first he was going to, and I would control the gangs, but you know how it is. Once you have a taste of power you want more. It's why I started taking out Sector Houses." The Puppet Master told her as he pushed Anderson further into the wall to stop her moving.

A corrupt Judge was behind all of this. It was unthinkable. Someone else had heard and he was someone who took corruption personally, Judge Dredd.

The only warning the Puppet Master had of his presence was when he felt a blade slip into his back, making him yell in agony. It wasn't an instant kill, just enough to incapacitate him. Dredd pulled the psychic off of Anderson and didn't care if, as he pulled and shoved him, he was smashed into the walls. Anderson followed but didn't intervene as she knew Dredd had been waiting for a chance to get him since they first entered the building. Dredd rammed him bodily into the railings that served as a barrier around the open roof of the block. The old metal bars creaked and groaned under the additional stress they endured from the weather.

"Simon Psyker your crimes include numerous murders of Judges. The sentence is death, how do you plead?" Dredd all but growled out.

Anderson didn't need to be able to read his mind to see he was angry. His whole body was taut and coiled ready to lash out like a caged beast. His voice was dangerously low yet loud over the wind it might as well have been a roar. Dredd's hands were so tightly gripped on the psychics' clothes Anderson knew his knuckles would be white. The Puppet Master couldn't read Dredd's mind either but from his scared reaction she knew Dredd was practically radioactive with anger. The Puppet Master finally found the courage to answer.

"You think I didn't know I would be killed? I knew because I saw what Anderson saw. She didn't tell you? Too bad Daddy Dredd." The Puppet Master sneered.

Dredd growled as he opened up his hands carefully to reveal two slugs, one in each hand. Without warning he shoved one in each ear of the Puppet Master causing him to scream in pain. Anderson winced as she remembered Dredd had threatened her once with the same torture if she read his mind. While the man screamed in agony Dredd fired a live Hot Shot round into his mouth turning the scream into a sizzling hissing gurgle. With a pop the other two became ignited with the intense heat. Anderson could smell burning and saw his face was already going red and starting to melt. Hot Shot rounds burned like a small sun on contact with flesh. Dredd gritted his teeth and with an almighty kick to the chest, the Puppet Master broke through the bars to begin his descent to the ground. The Hot Shot rounds now embedded in his skull would melt his head before he even went past the 190 floor but Dredd didn't care. He was a criminal who finally paid the price for his crimes.

With a deep sigh that seemed to sap all his strength as it left his body, Dredd sat down on the floor. Anderson sat next to him knowing she would probably have to explain a few things. Dredd didn't ask just waited as he always did. Anderson leaned towards Dredd and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I had a vision last night; I still don't know fully what it means. I saw you kill the Puppet Master." Anderson confessed.

"So that last part he said, are you pregnant?" Dredd asked, suddenly feeling like once again his life wasn't his own but controlled by another psychic and this time it was his partner and friend.

"Dredd, it's not even been 24 hours and I have no clue. It could be weeks before I know or maybe I'm not at all and it was just my mind ticking over on something I've been worrying about." Anderson replied.

Dredd only nodded still not sure which outcome would be best. If she was carrying his child then he'd be just like his brother Rico, but thinking on it more, Rico had been involved in criminal activities before Vienna came along. Dredd wasn't somebody to commit a crime but he was still reminded of his brother. He even thought about what his brother would say if he was here. Dredd sighed, thinking that if his brother was here as well or in his place, he wouldn't have hesitated to do anything with Anderson and would have dragged her down with him, corrupting what had the potential to be a great asset to the city and the fight. This then led his thoughts to what to do now. To run and hide would be his brother's attitude then leave Anderson the moment he found out she was in fact carrying his child, but he wasn't that sort of person. Dredd might act like a tough man made of stone, but even stone had cracks. Dredd could be compassionate when it was required, and right now he needed to find help. The only place he could think of was the Hall of Justice, but apparently that had been corrupted by the new Chief Judge Cal. He wondered if his old friend Hershey was still around. He inwardly smiled when he thought of her, knowing that she was a tough Judge to bring down. Looking sideways at Anderson, his thoughts drifted to how Hershey and Anderson would get along. They were both strong-minded women and both weren't afraid to stand up to him when they thought he was wrong about something. With this in mind, he thought that maybe the two would get along like sisters, or being so alike they would clash. But right now he needed to find Hershey, if she was still alive, as Dredd knew she wouldn't side with corruption like Cal.

The pair sat in silence till Dredd heard a noise over the wind. It was a whining mechanic drone and as he turned around to face the direction the noise was coming from, he saw a black surveillance drone come to a hover behind them. Dredd spotted the Justice Department logo on its wings as its all-seeing camera eye rotated and zoomed in on the pair of Judges before it. Dredd then noticed that it had a pair of chain guns fitted under its wings as well as what looked like a folded up passenger cargo net under slung on its body. Dredd realized this was a modified drone and possibly what the Puppet Master was waiting for. The two guns pointed directly at them and Dredd jumped to his side as Anderson rolled away before bullets chewed up the concrete they had been sitting on. Anderson scrambled to her feet and headed for the roof door as the drone followed Dredd. Dredd tried to lose it amongst some vents but the drone was programmed to be smarter than that. The metal vents tore like paper as smoke rose from the twisted metal while Dredd now ran for the opened door Anderson was waiting by. Anderson aimed her Lawgiver as she fires a couple of high ex rounds at the drone. The rounds did little more than jink its movements as the bullets nearly struck Dredd. Changing to armour piercing, she aimed for the camera held her breath to steady her aim as she gently squeezed the trigger. A couple of the rounds pierced the thick protective lens and blinded the drone causing it to fire haphazardly in an attempt to hit its mark. Dredd ran for the door and rugby-tackled Anderson's back, wrapping himself around her as they tumbled down the small flight of stairs and out of harm's way. The drone was still firing and flying around blindly till its wings clipped the railing sending it spiraling out of control down into the block, guns still firing. Dredd was on his back with his head and shoulders resting on the wall and his feet on a couple of steps up the way they had fallen. Anderson groaned as she opened her eyes and stared straight at Dredd.

"Oh great even in hell I can't get away from you." Anderson muttered as she sat up not bothered if she was still in his lap.

"We're not dead yet." Dredd muttered back as he tried to move but felt pain in his left shoulder.

Anderson stood up and offered a hand to help him up. Dredd just grunted as he awkwardly tried to maneuver in the small space with his tall frame without hitting his shoulder, which caused Anderson to laugh. Dredd just gave a Judge's death glare in response. Once Dredd was stood up he felt weak in the legs and looking down he spotted a torn piece of leather on his pant leg and blood. Anderson hadn't spotted it yet so Dredd concentrated on resetting his dislocated shoulder. Spying the corner of the wall that divided the stairwells, he just used it to hit his shoulder back into place with a loud crack and pop. Dredd let out a ragged breath as he suppressed the pain, Anderson looked queasy at the act making Dredd slightly smile in pay back. But his leg wound was noticeable after he applied weight to the leg and he couldn't hide forever the pool of red circling his boot.

"Joe you're bleeding!" Anderson exclaimed.

"Yep." Dredd said back before sinking down to the steps to sit.


End file.
